


Family Found

by DeepDisiresLonging



Series: Cousin Ambrose Collection [1]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Wrestling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 50
Words: 153,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23074393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepDisiresLonging/pseuds/DeepDisiresLonging
Summary: When Y/N joins the journalism crew of WWE, she is trying to make a name for herself. Then her missing past begins to catch up to her, and she finds herself capable of filling a void she never thought could be filled again... by her cousin: Dean Ambrose.
Relationships: Sheamus/Reader
Series: Cousin Ambrose Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685698
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Welcome to the Team

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings/Promises: Angst, family fluff, some Sheamus x Reader fluff, no smut [sorry], originally written for Raw of 2018-2019 and now I'm reposting it here since I might be working on Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve finally made it to the journalism team of WWE. It wasn’t the plan, but when you’re signed for now to Smackdown, your past seems like it is going to remain where it is. That is, until Kurt Angle calls you in to fill in for Charley. Then you keep finding new ways to make enemies.

May 7 – Smackdown Live, Baltimore

You waited anxiously just outside of Gorilla for the match to be over. Though you giggled when Big E was throwing pancakes at Sheamus, your nerves about your first interview as part of the team filled your mind. Cesaro won the pin and you took several deep breaths trying to calm yourself. The Bar took the commercial break to speak with Mr. McMahon. Your cameraman received some news which he passed along to you.

“I knew you c’uld do it.” Sheamus slapped Cesaro across the back in a congratulatory pat, nearly sending his partner stumbling into you as they entered the hallway.

“Excuse me, Cesaro and Sheamus?” You rolled your shoulders; your voice sounded so quiet. _Get it together, Y/N!_ Thankfully, they still noticed you. “Congratulations on your win this evening, Cesaro.”

“Thank you, miss…” Cesaro dropped off, confused.

“Y/N. Um. Next week it has been revealed that The Bar will face New Day for a spot in the Money in the Bank match, but only one teammate of the winning team gets to go. What are your first thoughts about this development?”

They shared a look, then broke into laughter. Sheamus spoke up first. “The only thoughts we have are about which one of us is going to be in the ladder match.” He chuckled and nudged Cesaro. “Today was not Xavier Wood’s day. And it won’t be next week either, or for his other pancake flipping friends.”

“Y/N,” Cesaro said, “whether it’s me or Sheamus climbing that ladder at Money in the Bank, you can be assured that we will level the playing field next week. Because we don’t just set the Bar…”

“We are the bar!” they said in unison.

You took a step back so they could walk past. Sheamus turned at the last second. “Welcome to WWE, Y/N.”

“Thank you,” you squeaked. You leaned back against the wall as your cameraman sat his gear on a crate. It was only your first day on the main roster, but if you didn’t work the nerves out of your system soon, then it might be one of your last.

* * *

May 14 – Monday Night Raw, London

Kurt Angle was typing away on his phone when you entered his hall space. “Ah, Miss Y/L/N, thanks for coming in on such short notice.”

“No problem.” You shifted your weight from one foot to the other. So much for trying to avoid being on Raw. “How can I help?”

“Charley is out sick, and since you came all this way for Smackdown tomorrow, Paige suggested that you could fill in. You up for it?”

You nodded. “Yes, sir. Where do I need to go?”

Angle motioned to one side where a man waved at you. “Our stage manager will make sure you’re mic-ed and will get you where you need to be. And thank you for stepping up.” You didn’t have time to respond as the stage manager guided you down the hall. At least tonight you weren’t likely to run into the impending problem you were doing your best to avoid.

A few minutes later you were waiting to speak to Elias before his match. Finally, you heard his strumming and saw him turn the corner.

“Elias?” You paused as Elias stopped strumming. “With your loss to Bobby Roode last week, what is your plan to claim a place at the Money in the Bank?” You held out your mic.

Elias looked at the mic. Then at you. Then he looked further down the hall and continued to strum, walking away. You sighed and grit your teeth. It was beginning to feel like one of _those_ nights.

It continued to be one of those nights with your interview with Alexa later on. She and Mickie James walked up laughing at something Alexa said. You started your question a few times, but Alexa kept ignoring you to say things to Mickie about Nia Jax.

“And then she has the audacity to make that little speech about standing up for yourself like she didn’t just beat me down after already having stolen my title.”

“Excuse me, Ms. Bliss,” you said as loudly as you dared, “may I ask you a few questions about your next steps after all the losses piling up behind you.” That wasn’t the original question, but you were getting testy.

“My losses?” Alexa sucked her teeth. “They are where they are supposed to be: behind me. I am not going to let that bully Nia keep me down. I don’t care if I have to fight all the women in the division for the Money in the Bank briefcase, I will get _my_ title back, and then nobody is going to touch it again.” She looked back at Mickie, who sagely nodded in agreement. Alexa sniffled and cupped her hands over her chest. “You’re new here, so you can’t possibly understand the cruelty I have survived at the hands of Nia Jax. Well, I say no more. Sooner rather than later, Nia is going to pay for everything she has done to me.”

Although you were keeping your face stoic in an attempt to remain neutral, a disbelieving snort escaped.

Alexa gasped. “What? Go on. I can handle it. Is it a short joke to add to my trauma?”

This chick.

“I’m sure I could come up with some if you’d like, but I don’t want to add to your ‘woe is me’ complex. Actually, if you can’t convince Kurt Angle to let you into the Money in the Bank match, what would you like to say to Nia as she continues to hold the Raw Women’s Championship?”

Both Alexa and Mickie’s jaws dropped. Alexa stamped her foot. She tried to say something, but it came out as sputtering. She took a deep breath and turned back to Mickie.

“See, everyone is against me.” Glancing at you, she squinted her eyes. “When I beat Nia and win back my championship, everybody will show some respect for the only goddess of WWE.” They marched off, leaving you with a mixture of fearful and relieved emotions.

* * *

May 15 – Smackdown Live, London

You cut your shout of delight short as Sheamus pinned Big E. He quickly met Cesaro outside the ring and they left up the ramp cheering and patting each other on the back. You’d only been here two weeks and you were already starting to pick favorites.

“Y/N, good to see you,” Cesaro said, nearly bumping into you for the second week in a row.

“Good to see you guys too. So, time for the inevitable question. Which-“

“Which one of us is going to be in the ladder match?” Sheamus finished your question and looked at Cesaro. “If I have anything to say about it, it’s going to be this man right here.” He slapped Cesaro across the chest, who reeled back, flattered.

“Ho, no, no.” Cesaro bumped shoulders with Sheamus. “We know who can do it because he’s done it before. Sheamus will win the contract.”

All you could do was stand and smile while they went back and forth with several “no, you!” Sheamus saw your bemused expression and stopped the cycle.

“Okay, so we haven’t really talked ‘bout it. We wanted to focus on one match at ta time, and now that we have one, we will consider all options. We’ll let you know by the end of the night.”

You tilted your head in confusion. “You mean you’ll let Paige know by the end of the night.”

“Right. Paige.”

“Either way, congratulations, and I can’t wait to hear what you guys decide. Thank you for your time.” You left with a smile.

Smackdown was already beginning to feel like home.


	2. Altercations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, Y/N is filling in on Raw, which turns out to be a whirlwind of crazy. Due to her combined actions last week and this week, she receives some unfortunate news.

May 21 – Monday Night Raw – Albany, NY

There were about two seconds of Roman Reign’s music before the crowd erupted into boos. Because of the orders of Stephanie McMahon, he was going to have his rightful chance at the Money in the Bank Match. Apparently, he had made a good case. Since he and Jinder had denied each other their opportunity, then it was only fair that they should both get the match they deserved. Tonight’s opening match was going to be Reigns versus Jinder for the last space in the contract match.

Roman posed on the ropes, his fists raised in the air. He was mid-roar when Sunil Singh began Jinder’s entrance. The Big Dog stepped off the ropes and waited for his opponent to make it to the ring. He couldn’t help but grin as Jinder winced and held his bandaged waist. If last week’s spear was even a smidgen of what Roman had planned, the modern-day Maharaja was in for a world of hurt.

They fought for a while. Both of them began to get increasingly frustrated when the other kept kicking out. Roman staggered into the ropes, and Jinder motioned to Sunil. The crowd tried to warn Roman, but Sunil slid into the ring behind him while Jinder distracted the ref with his injury. Sunil kicked into the backs of Roman’s knees until he lost his balance. Then the smaller man was gone, even as Roman tried to swing at him. Instead, he turned just in time to catch Jinder and have his back bounce off the turnbuckles.

Jinder showboated around, unaware that the Big Dog had made it back to his feet. He bounced off the mat after a clothesline. Roman backed into a corner and readied a spear. But Sunil was there again, who dangled his whole body weight from Roman’s neck from the other side of the ropes.

Roman was frantically clawing at his throat when a cameraman hopped up on the apron for a better angle and accidentally bumped the Singh brother. You watched the same cameraman walk around to the other side of the ring while the fight continued. Again he stepped up onto the apron and was too close when Jinder came flying into the turnbuckles. Jinder’s head bounced off of the machinery instead of the padding; he fell like a log. The cameraman stepped into the ring to get close-ups of Roman as he celebrating winning the final Money in the Bank spot.

But they never used the cameraman’s footage.

Roman turned to him and held out his hand for a firm shake. The man sat down his gear and took off his hat and glasses. Your blood ran cold as the audience went wild.

It was Dean Ambrose.

The Shield brothers left for backstage, ignoring injured Jinder and Sunil. Charley was still out, or you wouldn’t have been in this mess. You turned to Renee, who was watching the match with you.

“Hey, sweetie? I’m feeling a little… ill. Can we trade interviews?”

“Sure, Y/N.” She watched you rush away, calling thanks back to her.

As Corey directed the tv audience backstage, “and now to Y/N,” Dean and Roman emerged from Gorilla and Seth nearly slipped running around the corner to meet them. Corey was confused. “Or, to Renee Young I guess.”

Renee waited for a moment while the Shield reunited. “Congratulations on your placing in the Money in the Bank match, Roman. And welcome back Dean. Aren’t you a little early in your return?”

Dean smirked. “Yeah. Just a little. I told the docs I would take it slow for a bit…” Dean tapped at his collarbone. “Then I found that extra camera and came out to help my brother.”

“Yeah, and didn’t tell either of us he was coming, you jerk.” Seth’s smile was bright as he lightly ruffled Dean’s hair. “Glad to have you back.”

“Hey, sweetheart?” Dean said. “We’ve got some catching up to do. But I can tell ya that the Shield is back and better than ever.” He looked up at Roman expectantly. When he didn’t say anything, Dean poked him in the ribs.

“Ow.” Roman gave him a peeved look then rolled his eyes. “And you can bo-lieve that.” He wrapped his arms around the shoulders of his teammates and led the way, leaving Renee alone in the corridor.

* * *

Your new interview was scheduled with whoever won the Baron Corbin vs. No Way Jose match. Baron won with a Deep Six, but after several near pins from the fiesta friend. He was angry that the match had lasted so long, and his win was cut short by Kevin and Sami attacking him on the stage. He was able to get away and was headed in your direction.

Again, Corey directed the tv audience to your location. “Renee Young can check to see if… or Y/N. Whoever. What is going on?”

Baron stumbled out of Gorilla and began to stomp down the hall. You were on edge. The sudden appearance of Dean would have been enough to rattle you, but now there was Baron to deal with.

“Baron…” you started.

“What!” he shouted at you. Seriously?

“Could you tell us…” you tried again.

“I don’t have time to talk to anyone or a shorty like you about anything. Now get out of my face.”

Oh hell no.

“Mr. Corbin!” You grabbed a nearby box and stood on it to come eye to eye with him. “My lack of height has nothing on your lack of manners. You may think you are some Big Bad Wolf, and you can huff and puff all you like, but I am not letting you move from that spot until you answer my question. Now, are you going to or not?”

He took a step back and thought for a minute. “Did you just…did you even?”

“I would have if you’d given me time for it. Now can I do my job?”

Baron stuttered for a bit, then flailed his arms for you to continue.

“Thank you.” You took a breath to settle yourself and smoothed out your skirt. “Although you are going to miss out on the ladder match in a few weeks, you seem pretty occupied with several new enemies since arriving to Monday Night Raw. Should you end up in a match in Chicago, which opponents would you most look forward to… um… battling?” Your formerly boiling blood froze over as your anger lost its momentum. Leaving you with a confused lone wolf.

Baron looked down the hall in thought. “Well, miss…?”

“Y/N.”

“Y/N. At the moment I owe Kevin Owens and Sami Zayne a good pair of punches in the mouth. Although, Jose should have lost tonight a lot quicker than he did. And as for Titus World Wide… well. Maybe they aren’t worth the effort,” Baron ended with a smug smile.

“Thank you.” You gave him a curt nod. “Good luck with the rest of your evening.” You stepped off the box and walked down the hall, heels loudly clacking all the way and not looking back.

* * *

May 22 – Smackdown Live – Worchester, MA

Billie Kay jumped around the ring as the referee finished counting to three. She was officially going to Money in the Bank instead of Lana, who looked heartbroken at the outcome of their match. You waited backstage with Charlotte Flair who had watched the match on a screen.

“Ms. Flair, Billie Kay has now joined you in the Money in the Bank Match against Ember Moon and Alexa Bliss and others. If it comes down to the two of you…”

“It’s Charlotte, and Billie does not ignite a spark of thought in my mind,” she interrupted. “Once the bell rings, it’s every woman for herself. We both know that, and we are aware of the consequences.” She gave you a kind smile, telling you that was all she was going to say on the matter. “Thank you, Ms. Flair.” You closed your eyes and sighed. “Sorry. Force of habit for people I really respect.”

“Thank you, Ms. Flair.” You closed your eyes and sighed. “Sorry. Force of habit for people I really respect.”

Charlotte’s smile brightened if that was even possible. “I appreciate that. And I appreciate what you said to Alexa the other day. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone stand up to her so quickly.”

“Yeah,” you dragged out. “That had the opposite effect than what I was expecting. Mr. Angle talked to Ms. Paige, and this is my last night of the Smackdown journalism crew. It seems he liked I stood up to Alexa last week, and then to Baron yesterday. Which is unfortunate, because I was really looking forward to becoming friends with you guys.”

“Awe,” Charlotte pouted. “I think you’re already friends with a bunch of us. And there’s all the dual-branded pay per views this year.” She patted your shoulder. “Don’t fret. You’re going to be great where ever you are.”

“Thanks… Charlotte. And good luck at Money in the Bank.” You blushed as she held out the ‘teacup’. You held up your pinkie and imaginary cup and toasted her.

Your night was not done. You still had one last interview to do with the Bar after their match against the Bludgeon Brothers. Since Cesaro was going to be in the ladder match, he and Sheamus weren’t really on their hitlist. More like practice.

“Worst night ever,” Sheamus grumbled, leaning on Cesaro as they came down the hallway. “And what’s this about you leaving already?” They stopped in front of you.

“Them’s the breaks. I don’t really want to leave either, but I’ve got college to pay off. Paige hasn’t said anything about it, but are you guys worried at all about the Bludgeon Brothers possibly interfering with the Money in the Bank match? If Cesaro wins the match, it’s very possible that you guys could use it to take the tag team championships away from them.” You held out your mic.

The guys were stunned. They must not have thought about that.

“Huh.” Cesaro tilted his head. “That might explain why they seemed extra angry tonight.” He waved his hands, clearing the air. “If that’s their plain, then let them try it. We’ve got your heads up now and can plan accordingly. So, thanks.”

“No problem. Any last thoughts until I have to say goodbye until then?”

Sheamus wrapped his arm around your shoulder and gave you a quick squeeze. “Nah. We’ll just miss seeing you around. Though I have to admit,” he side-eyed Cesaro, “I look forward to you sassing everyone on Raw.”

You inflated our cheeks and then let the air out. “I don’t know about everyone. But we’ll see how it goes. Good luck to you guys.” They did their pose, making you giggle, then left you to your last thoughts as a journalist for Smackdown.


	3. Long Time, No See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N’s past meets her face-to-face. The reunion is not what she expected.

May 28 - Monday Night Raw – Richmond, VA

Seth Rollins opened the show. He swaggered his way down to the ring and basked in the glow of the adoring audience.

“Thank you, guys! With all the excitement last week, I’m hoping to get tonight started and…” he broke off with a smile as a ‘Monday Night Rollins’ chant started. It died down as he raised the mic back up. “If I want to hold up to that promise, there’s one thing I have to do. I’m a fighting champion after all. I’m issuing an open challenge for the Intercontinental Championship. For right here. And right now.” He dropped the mic and waited for whoever’s music while the ref entered the ring.

 _Face the Facts_ started to play. Seth grinned widely as Curt Hawkins entered the arena and made his way down the ramp. Hawkins motioned for the bell the second he entered the ring and attacked Seth before he could drop the title. That was all of the upper-hand Hawkins had for the rest of the match.

It ended quickly, with Hawkins out cold after a Blackout.

“We need to check some records,” Coachman said. “That might be Rollin’s fasted title defense, if not the fasted defense of any WWE title.”

“I doubt that,” Corey said, interrupting Coachman before he could continue. Corey jumpstarted the rest of the night. “And we should go to Y/N to get a word with the Lunatic Fringe. Unless it’s actually Renee. Or Charley.” He harrumphed when you showed up on the screen. “Good to see the cue sheet is right this week.”

You put on your game face and hoped for the best as your first red brand interviewee walked out of the hallway. A glint of recognition flickered across his face. You swallowed, mouth suddenly dry.

“Hey, Dean.” You took a shallow breath. “Long time no see.”

Dean’s eyes widened. He inched closer to you, his hand inches away from checking to see if you were real. You jumped as he called back down the hallway. “Renee! Roman! Seth!” He stared at you, fighting even blinking in case you disappeared before his eyes. You gasped and went rigid as he pulled you in for a hug. With a sigh, you relaxed and hugged back. By the time they arrived, you were caught in an Ambrose bear hug you never wanted to escape from. It was the most ‘home’ you had felt in almost twenty years.

“Oh my gosh,” Renee breathed. “You’re the cousin.”

You pulled away to see Roman and Seth’s confused faces. Your cheeks were wet and, looking up, so were Dean’s.

“Yes. I’m the cousin.”

Dean sputtered, “where have you been? They took you away, and then your records were sealed, and I got good at wrestling, and things took off but I could never find you.” He stopped to take a breath. “I’m so sorry, Y/N.”

You wiped away a tear and avoided eye contact. “I never blamed you. And you came into town a few times on tour.” Dean moved to ask more questions, but you waved him off. “We don’t have time for this right now. Seth’s got to catch his breath, Roman’s got a match, and you’ve got to get to commentary.” You laughed. “I’m supposed to be asking you about Baron and No Way Jose.” When Dean didn’t move you gave his chest a slight push. “You should get going.”

He pulled your head towards him for a forehead kiss that you melted in to. Renee left with him, their hands tightly entwined, leaving you with Roman and Seth. You gave them a hesitant wave. They shared a look that would send Rollreigns fans into a gif tizzy.

Roman nodded to you. “Welcome to the family, Y/N.”

* * *

In the ring, No Way Jose made his entrance with his Congo line. At the tail end of it, Dean was having the time of his life. He broke off and took the extra chair and headset next to Coachman. He was barely situated before Corey was asking questions.

“Since when do you have cousins, Ambrose?”

“Since I was about ten years old. I’ve talked about her before, but it was a long time ago and nobody was really listening. Past that, I haven’t seen her in almost twenty years and we’re gonna have a lot of catching up to do after this. Whatever this is.”

Michael Cole did his best to keep the focus on the upcoming match. “We know you know Baron Corbin, but his opponent, No Way Jose, is new to the red brand.”

“I like ‘im,” Dean said, leaning back in his chair, “he knows how to party.”

Jose was still dancing in the middle of the ring when Baron’s music started. The Lone Wolf glared at Dean on his way down the ramp.

“I haven’t missed him,” Dean muttered.

“I don’t think he’s missed you either,” Cole said as the bell rang.

Dean made several comments through the match, for and against each of the wrestlers.

Corey was disgusted. “Dean, whose side are you on? You’re speaking good about No Way Jose now while Baron’s got him caught in a corner. But two minutes ago when Baron was on the ropes, you were talking him up.”

“I just like encouraging the little guy, no matter who that is at any given moment.”

Cole was confused. “But Dean, they can’t hear you from back here.”

Dean snorted. “That’s what you think.” The next thing the team knew, he was standing on the announce table and waving at the ring. He laughed loudly as Baron went to yell back at him and was immediately rolled up for the pin.

No Way Jose made a quick exit and rushed to the stage where Dean joined him. They mockingly danced their way out of the arena while Baron fumed.

* * *

The Main Event for the night was a tag-team match made up of four of the five Money in the Bank wrestlers from Raw. Finn Balor and Roman were paired up against Braun and Bobby Roode. Dean brought you with him to watch on the backstage screen with Seth. They both made little comments naming moves for you or reacting to your reactions, which were mostly flinching.

Roman had Braun stumbling around in the perfect position for a spear. He roared and tackled Braun to the canvas. Finn was waiting on the top turnbuckle, and Roman rolled out of the ring to ensure Bobby did not interfere. Braun barely groaned under the Coup de Gras, but Finn was successful in pinning him. Roman joined him in the ring while Roode made a quick exit; he didn’t want to be there when the monster among men woke up.

The ref stood between the victors and raised their hands. Finn turned to shake Roman’s hand, but Roman wasn’t there.

Braun was.

Roman was tangled up in the ropes at the bottom of the ring where Braun had bumped him. Finn was lifted over Braun’s shoulder and dropped. In the background, the crowd started chanting ‘get these hands’, which made Braun smile wickedly over his victims. The same drop happened to Roman moments later.

Raw ended with Braun standing alone, roaring with the WWE universe.


	4. The Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Y/N let loose the lost history that Y/N had tried so hard to conceal. The other two members of the Shield gain momentum as Money in the Bank draws near while Dean wrestles himself towards more problems.

May 4, 2018 – Monday Night Raw – Houston, TX

Sitting in the ring, waiting for you and Dean, was Kevin Owens and Sami Zayne. Dean was bouncing next to you calmly. You felt like your insides were twisting their way past your spine.

“Hey,” Dean got your attention, “we’ve got this.”

You didn’t have time to reply before his music hit. He went out first, did his thing, then looked to his left. When you weren’t there he came back to the curtain and motioned for you to follow him. He booped your nose. It made you smile like it always had. The walk down the ramp was faster than you were expecting. He sat on the rope so you could get in without having your skirt lift up too much.

You could have worn pants. You should have worn pants. And not heels. No jewelry was a good idea. Couldn’t blind anyone in the audience that way. Maybe you should have done something…

“Ambroses,” Kevin said, breaking your rush of thoughts. “Welcome to the Kevin Owens and Sami Zayne show.” Kevin smiled at you, but all you could see was the arrogance practically glowing underneath the surface.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome,” Sami hummed. “And how is the happily reunited family today?”

Outnumbered. Not that Dean couldn’t take them, you just wouldn’t be able to help much.

“Fine, thank you.” Your voice wasn’t very strong, and Kevin noticed.

“That can’t be the same Y/N that’s stood toe-to-toe with Baron Corbin.” His smirk dared you to shoot back.

“I’m trying to reserve my sass. Besides, it wouldn’t be good to cause an incident this early in the show. Don’t want to be rude.” You smirked back. Kevin nodded and shared a proud look with Sami.

“We appreciate that,” Sami twittered. He made a big show of taking out his glasses and preparing his notepad. “Now, the world wants to know, what happened? You two were separated or something?” Sami ruffled through the pages, which you noted were empty, and looked back at you expectantly.

Dean watched you swallow hard and nodded. “Guess I better start. Y/N was just five when it happened. She is my cousin through my dad’s brother. They were living with us in Cincinnati, though it was rough. They were barely home, so we were left to get into all sorts of trouble.” Dean snickered. He leaned towards you. “Pigeons and Doritos.”

You busted out laughing. “It’s amazing you didn’t go into football with how many times you had to carry me out of trouble.”

Sami waved to get your attention. “Are we going to get that story?” He huffed when you shook your head.

“We had it figured out,” Dean continued. “She was in school; the neighbor took her with her kid. I was dropping out of high school to start wrestling. Or to try anyways.” He absently tapped his collarbone. “By then Dad was in jail, my uncle and his wife had bounced out, and my mom was no longer with us. Nobody seemed to care about us until I was dropping out. I was old enough to claim guardianship, but child services didn’t like that.”

“Y/N, you’re still being really quiet,” Kevin interrupted.

You breathed yourself back into the moment. “This is new information to me. Life was life. Dean made sure there was food on the table and helped me with whatever kindergarten homework I had.” You ignored Kevin’s snark of ‘how cute.’ “The adults weren’t around for me to miss them. Then one day I came home from school and… and left forever. I didn’t want to go, but I was five. They weren’t going to listen to me.” You turned to look at Dean. “The last thing I saw was Dean standing between two cops and trying to fight past them.” You swallowed again, this time to get rid of a lump.

“Welp, that sounds traumatizing.” Sami made a note and nodded pseudo-sagely. “Then what? How did you end up here?”

The words didn’t want to come. But they did when Dean smiled at you. Encouraging you. “I was adopted quickly. I’m cute after all. Moved to North Carolina. Then Georgia. Then went back up to Cincinnati for college.”

“You went to college?” Dean asked with a grin.

It was getting easier. “Yeah. Majored in classics, minored in sports journalism. Went looking through Dean’s old haunts and found a few jobs. Caught the eye of some influential people and found myself here.” You blushed as the crowd applauded and cheered.

Kevin made them pipe down. “That’s all well and good, but you must have been a terrible journalist if you couldn’t find your cousin.”

“How do you know I didn’t?”

“Come again,” Kevin sputtered. Dean was surprised too.

“Come on, it’s an easy Google search. Earlier attempts were harder because I was only looking local to Cincinnati. But then I found you in the WWE. And you had a new family too, in Seth and Roman.” You bit your lip and shrugged. “I was in high school. What was I supposed to do? If I had tried to talk to anyone, nobody was going to believe me.”

“Yep. Them’s the breaks kid.” Sami made another note. “It’s tragic. And inspiring. Separated during a terrible childhood. Reunited after finding success in your own ways.”

Kevin stood. Aggressive. Dean did the same while you and Sami watched on. “Why didn’t you look for her, Dean? The way you tell it, you cared so much. What changed?”

“Might I suggest you watch your mouth, Owens?” Dean was nearly nose-to-nose with Owens, though one foot was slightly behind the other. His free hand clenched and unclenched by his side.

But he kept going. “We know you’re unhinged, but how far back does that go? Did one too many concussions in the ring give you amnesia?” Kevin stumbled into the table with the following punch. He came back up ready to defend himself, but Dean hadn’t moved.

“They sealed her records. Said I was dangerous. And I couldn’t go into any of the court things because I was in jail for two weeks for beating up on those cops that kept me from running after the car.”

Gingerly, you stood and came up behind Dean, tapping his shoulder to make sure he knew you were there and wouldn’t spring. “Two weeks?” Dean looked back at you to nod, but Kevin moved to use that as a weakness. You didn’t think. It hurt, but Kevin’s head snapped back in a satisfying way as you punched him in the nose. You didn’t have much training, so you knew it couldn’t have hurt him too much.

Dean just beamed.

You gave him a flirty and taunting wave. He sputtered tossed his glasses and notepad to the canvas. Dean again sat on the ropes. You hopped to the floor and turned just in time to see Sami running his way. Dean followed your gaze and caught Sami, quickly dropping him in Dirty Deeds next to his trouble-making friend.

You couldn’t stop smiling all the way back up the ramp.

* * *

Seth Rollins bumped into you two backstage. He gave you a quick congratulations then continued to the ring. By the time he made it there, the ring was clear of the Kevin and Sami show and ready for his open challenge. He didn’t say anything. Didn’t have too. The chants of “Monday Night Rollins” were enough.

The chants shifted into pure cheering as Bobby Lashley’s music came through the speakers. He grinned at Seth all the way down the ramp. He paused outside of the ring while the ref entered from the other side and took the Intercontinental belt. Seth motioned for the bell to ring as Lashley slid under the ropes.

Rollins was showing off, which spurred Lashley to do the same. It was a match that showcased the mutual respect between the opponents. Even so, Seth was finding it hard to keep up with Lashley. He found himself in trouble when Lashley was able to hold him high in the air with the hold.

But then Sami emerged from his hiding spot next to the bell and jumped up onto the apron. Lashley let Seth drop, ignoring him as the champion bounced off the canvas and fell to the outside.

“What makes you think you deserve that title?” Sami shouted. “You just got back and you haven’ done anything worthy.”

Lashley fired back, “and you have? You have done nothing but complain since you moved to Raw. And you missed your chance. I’m here. Rollins is done, and I’m-“ He couldn’t finish as Seth came up from behind him and rolled him up for the pin. Lashley’s anguished look was only met with Seth’s shrug and Sami’s sneering smile.

The ref gave Seth back the belt. Sami made a big deal of pointing at it.

“Next week, Seth. I’m coming for that.”

“You’re welcome to try, man. But this week, you’ve got more pressing matters.” Seth nodded for Sami to look behind him, where Lashley was waiting.

Sami scrambled through the ropes to scurry across the ring to tumble out the other side. Lashley followed him in but stopped by Seth to watch Sami run up the ramp. He gave Seth a strong handshake, then left the Kingslayer to collect his adoration from the crowd.

* * *

Elias glared at the crowd from under his spotlight. He cajoled and threatened them towards silence, but it remained far out of his grasp. Irritated, he began to play anyways. But instead of his acoustic chords, harmonica came through the speakers.

The lights filled up more of the ring to reveal Dean sitting on the apron at the bottom of the ring. He was leaned against the corner post lost to the world outside of the ear-piercing ditty he was trying to play on a harmonica. A microphone was balanced between his knees. Dean stopped as the crowd laughed, turning to look around in surprise.

“Oh hey, Elias. I’ve been working in some Pearl Jam. Have you looked up their stuff yet?”

The guitarist bypassed gracing Dean with an answer with fuming instead. He shuffled to one side as Dean came to join him in the ring.

“Do you mind?” Elias growled. “I’m trying to give these rotten people a concert.”

“Um, I think the concert is rotten, not the people. But yeah, I care. I’ve got a match with Baron, so…” Dean wiggled his fingers towards Elias. “If you could leave, that would be great. Though I wouldn’t mind some ring-side music if you wanted to stay for the match.”

Elias was about to retort when Baron’s music cut in. He left in a huff, staying clear of the Lone Wolf so the match could get started. It was just like old times. Same tricks from Baron, same evasions from Dean. But faster. Wittier. And with a bright Ambrose smile that sent Baron’s temper through the roof. It eventually cost him the match. Dean saw the Deep Six coming and reversed it into his second Dirty Deeds of the night.

Corey grumbled from commentary. “Congratulations to Dean. He won his first fight back from injury. But if he’s not careful, he’s going to end up with more problems than he can handle.”

“Well, I’m glad to see Dean Ambrose. WWE has missed him,” Coachman said.

“I didn’t say I didn’t miss him.” Corey led the bickering as the Houston crowd fully welcomed Dean back into the wrestling world.

* * *

In the main event, there was another respect match. Roman and Finn kept the other on their toes, practicing in front of the whole WWE universe what could happen at Money in the Bank. They were almost done when Braun’s roar filled the stadium. He made quick work of Roman and Finn. The crowd was enthusiastic about the catching of hands that he threw around. They were uncaring of the disqualified match, and of the battered athletes in the ring.

It was a lucky break, but a break none the less when Roman was able to spear Braun. Finn jumped off a corner post with a Coup de Grace. Together they were able to hold him off for a while. Then Finn made the mistake of turning on Roman. He made a show of standing with one boot on Roman’s chest and looking up at the briefcases hanging overhead.

He should have been looking behind.

Braun caught Finn by the back of the neck and tossed him across the ring. He bounced into the turnbuckles and collapsed off his feet. While Braun stalked Finn, Roman made it to his feet to stalk Braun. He stunned the monster among men on the turnbuckles above Finn before pulling him back and hoisting him up for a Samoan drop. Ignoring the boos, he rolled out of the ring.

Roman walked backward up the ramp, shouting at the two bodies in the ring and pointing at the briefcases. “That contract is mine. And mine alone. I’ll finish what you made me start tonight. The only thing you’re going to see at Money in the Bank is me standing on top of that ladder. Me.”


	5. Making the Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final battle lines are drawn before Money in the Bank. The Reader finalizes her choice of sides in one instance, and unknowingly blurs the line in another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I missed a detail last week in that Dean interrupted Elias with a harmonica. Since it shows up again, thought I’d better let you guys know. It’s been fixed on the fic now, sorry about that. Midnight writing is not recommended. Especially two weeks in a row. Please, for my sanity, reblogs and comments greatly appreciated. Enjoy this new chapter!

June 11, 2018 - Monday Night Raw - Little Rock, AZ

The second the lights came on in the ring, Corey was complaining. If Elias had been able to hear him, he probably would have strummed a special annoying tune just for him. But the Drifter was more focused on getting through at least one song before Money in the Bank, even if “these people don’t deserve it.”

“I’ve got a little something that came to me for my opponent this evening. Neither I or my guitar need any accompaniment, so Dean Ambrose and his crappy harmonica can just stay backstage while I give this music forsaken rock the gift of Elias.” He strummed and gave the ramp a hesitant look. He strummed a bit more and took a breath. Ensured that he was alone, Elias grinned and began. “Out in the desert night there are nothing but stars, but here in Little Rock there only are dirty bars.” He paused for the audience’s disapproval, and then ignored them. “As for the Ambrose that feels right at home-“

Dean’s music cut through, sending Elias into this week’s tizzy. The Lunatic Fringe thought it was hilarious and watched as Elias stomped around the ring and struggled to get out from under his mic. Their match started a few moments later, but the damage was done. Elias was rattled and furious. Unfortunately for him, Dean was the living embodiment of ‘poking the bear.’ Once he had the musician tossed out of the ring, he pulled the harmonica out of his back pocket and reclined on the top ropes. Elias almost looked comical sitting on the floor against a barricade with his hands over his ears.

He rushed the ring, hoping that Dean would get his legs caught up in the ropes. He did for a minute, giving his last-ditch effort time to make it to the ring. Baron Corbin slid into the ring from bell-side. The bell rang, Dean winning by disqualification, but neither Elias nor Baron cared. They kept kicking and punching Dean around the ring.

Party music signaled help was on the way. Everyone was surprised to see No Way Jose run down the ramp and fight the two men off. He helped Dean to his feet and stood at his back while the Lone Wolf and Drifter circled the ring and made their way out of the arena. In celebration, No Way Jose led Dean in dancing to his music.

By the time they were done, Corey begrudgingly announced that Kurt Angle had given the duo a tag-team match against Baron and Elias. Coachman and Cole were enthusiastic about the match, but then turned the viewer’s attention backstage.

* * *

Angle was on his phone, waiting for Roman’s appointment about a match for that night. He looked up as the sounds of a scuffle came from outside of his office space. The following shouts sent him into a rush that revealed a grounded Roman covered in pipes and squeezed between two tech boxes. His busted lip was bleeding slowly.

“What is going on here? Who did this?” His face and head darkened a shade redder as everybody helping piped up that they didn’t know. He had to step back as Dean came flying around one corner and almost collided with him, then flattening against a wall as Seth came in too.

“Uce, you good?” Dean helped Roman to his feet while Seth scouted out the third hallway that crossed the one he and Dean came down.

Angle tried to take back control of the moment. “Did you see anything?”

Roman winced and held his ribs. “No. Not really. Not a clear face anyways.” He continued after flustered prompting. “A flash of red hair. Just for a second.”

Seth groaned. “Red hair? Now, who do we know with red hair that has issues with any of us?” He looked pointedly at Angle, who unclipped his radio from his waist.

“Does anyone have eyes on Sami Zayne?”

After a pause, a voice said back, “he’s here in Gorilla.”

The Shield and Angle nodded. The trio left and Angle said, “we’re on our way. Don’t let him leave.”

* * *

By the end of the emergency Breezango-Titus World Wide match, they caught up with Sami. He was lounging outside of Gorilla with his legs stretched across a second chair, and Kevin Owens sitting next to him on a third. They both stood and shielded themselves with their seats. Angle was quick to get between the two parties.

“Sami, care to explain where you were about ten minutes ago?”

Sami scoffed. “I wear a hat all the time. How could Roman have seen my hair if I was wearing my hat? Besides, I was here. Waiting for Seth Rollins to get his high and mighty self here so I could answer his open challenge.”

“Oh, really?” Seth reached for the chair in Sami’s hands but was swatted away. “Can anyone verify that?”

“I can.” Kevin raised his hand but immediately returned it to grip the chair as Dean growled at him.

“Anybody reliable?” Seth asked.

A techie with a clipboard and a headset waved to get everyone’s attention. “He’s been here since the show started, Mr. Rollins. Mr. Angle.”

Angle sighed. “Thank you. Dean, make sure Roman gets to the trainer’s room to get checked out. Seth, your open challenge is next with Sami. And Kevin…” He pursed his lips. “Be anyplace but here.”

“But-“

“Complain about it to Stephanie McMahon. See if I care.” Angle left, fiddling with his phone. Kevin sputtered after him, then turned to nearly collide with Roman’s chest.

Roman switched glaring at him and Sami. “I still don’t trust you.” He turned when Seth patted his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. Whether or not Sami did it, I’m going to kick his ass anyway.” Seth smirked and shared a fist bump with Roman before going out to his music.

* * *

Seth was ready for Sami the second he made it to the ring. Even before then, he kept watching the crowd for any sign that he was being followed. Sami was still dancing in the stage when Seth handed his belt to the ref. He bounced back and forth in the ring while Sami took his sweet time coming down.

Sami stole Seth’s thunder by motioning for the bell to ring and making the first rush. But he made the mistake of showboating, giving the defending champion a chance to come back. They ignored the yelling as Seth jumped off a ring post. He landed on nothing but canvas as Sami was dragged out of the ring.

Instead of Kevin, Bobby Lashley stood on the outside of the ring patting the shoulder of a bewildered Sami Zayne. Bobby grinned wide, then sucker punched his rival. The ref had to call for the match to be attested to Sami, but because of the disqualification, Seth retained. He called for a mic while Sami rolled on the floor and Bobby strutted around the ring to the ramp. He received one with the Intercontinental Championship, flipping the belt over his shoulder.

“No, no, no, no, no. Sami messing with your end of the match last week was one thing. You messing with my chances of beating him this week? That’s… that’s not cool man.” Seth shook his head and sucked on his teeth. “You guys got issues. But I feel kind of cheated about getting to beat either of you, so how about I talk to Angle here in a minute about seeing you both on Sunday?”

The crowd cheered. Sami leaped to his feet but had to steady on the barricade. Lashley rubbed his hands together and pointed at Seth approvingly.

“And hey,” he continued, “feel free to take your frustrations out on each other. Make my job easy. But the only way that match is ending is how tonight is going to.” Seth dropped the mic and lifted the belt above his head. Satisfied with the display, he took hold of one end and spun it around over his head while his opponents looked on.

* * *

Before the main event of the night, you were set to interview two of the fatal four-way match competitors and guest. You were ready with a smile and some serious questions when Ember Moon, Sasha Banks, and Bayley came into view of your camera. There was a quick moment of greeting, then you launched.

“Bayley, after your actions last week cost Ember and Sasha their match last week, what are your plans this week in case one of the women leave the ring due to injury?”

“I’m going to stay backstage.” She laughed. “Though I have some news for you. Angle knows the contract match is at risk. So tonight, before the fatal four-way, I am going to beat Mickie James for the runner-up spot.”

Sasha scoffed. “Your only chance for understudy might be Natalya. You know Alexa won’t flake out tonight or Sunday. Last week she was more than willing to let us pick up her slack. She’s faked injuries in the ring to win matches.”

“Heh, yeah,” Ember chuckled. “Pretending that you dislocated her at the elbow kept you from retaining the Raw Women’s Championship, right?”

Again, Sasha scoffed and rolled her eyes, making her gaze land on your confused face. “You don’t know about that? I thought you were a sports journalist?”

“Well, yes.” You fought to defend yourself. “But everything for this job happened kinda fast. I prepared as much as I could, but I’m only knowledgeable about the last six months or so. Anything before January? I’m in the dark other than picking up on things here and there.”

Ember nudged Sasha in the ribs to keep her from snickering more than she already was. They left for final preparations before their match. Bayley hung back.

“You know, Dana has been with Titus World Wide for a while. She keeps stats on everyone, and probably keeps track of who fights who. You might ask her for some summaries of the drama that goes on around here.”

“Thanks. I’ll do that. Um, good luck on your match tonight.”

* * *

Bayley did indeed beat Mickie James for the runner-up spot. If Natalya or Alexa Bliss could not compete on Sunday, Bayley could legally take their place.

In the fatal four-way, Ember momentarily teamed up with Natalya, surprising the other two women. Sasha fought by herself, refusing to make the tiny alliance with Alexa. The Goddess of WWE was more than happy to avoid that as well. Once the lone women were knocked out of the ring, Ember and Natalya could fight one another.

The match came to an end as Ember Eclipsed Alexa, but Sasha moved quick and caught Ember in the Bank Statement. Natalya had no means to interrupt and Ember was left to eventually tap out.

“This Sunday, that contract,” Sasha played to the camera and pointed at the briefcase, “that is mine. And nobody is going to take it away from me.”

* * *

“Hey, Y/N.” Dean came up to you at the tail end of the show. Roman was behind him, scanning the hallway over your heads.

“Hey, Dean. Hey, Roman.” Why was he out of the trainer’s room? “Are okay?”

Roman waved away your concern. “Yeah. Random question. Have you happened to see Sheamus tonight?”

“Sheamus?” You scrunched your nose. “Why would he be here? He should be in Memphis or thereabouts for Smackdown.”

“We know, but he’s the only other person that fits into our little…”

“Conundrum,” Dean finished. “If you see him or anything weird, you’ll tell us right?”

“Yeah.” You watched them leave and called after them, “good luck!” When they were out of sight you turned to the techie next to you and took back your clipboard. “Is that why you were here? To beat up Roman?”

The techie tipped back his hood, showing Sheamus underneath. “It was just a little push. Leveling Cesaro’s field a bit. I admit I wasn’t expecting the manhunt this turned out to be.”

You let out a billowed breath. “You’ve got to get out of here.” What about…? “Go down this hallway and use the catering entrance. There are not enough people to check all the doors, and nobody will be expecting you to use a high traffic zone if you haven’t left already. Or so they’ll think. Now get going, before somebody sees you.”

Sheamus replaced his hood, then placed his hand on your shoulder. “Thanks, Y/N.” He walked off, blending with any techies rushing around to close up the show. You just hoped he would make it out.


	6. Put In the Work (Money in the Bank)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader’s interview at Money in the Bank stir up some personal questions in Monday’s post-ppv fallout.

June 17, 2018 – Money in the Bank – Chicago IL

“It is almost time for Money in the Bank!” Renee cheerfully said. The kickoff countdown was blipping between thirty and twenty-nine minutes until the PPV would start. “At this time, we have some very special guests to talk about their match.” Before she could finish, Dean dragged No Way Jose onto the stage with him. Jose caught the side of the table before he could be flipped over it in Dean’s haste to stand by Renee’s other shoulder. “Welcome, gentlemen,” Renee giggled. “Thanks for joining us.” Greetings were made with the rest of the table. Then the video package of the last several weeks was played.

“Dang, whoever makes the highlights reels needs a raise,” Dean said. “Though they didn’t focus enough on how many times I punched Baron in the face.”

“Or me to Elias,” Jose added. Dean pointed at him in agreement.

Renee took back control. “Is there anything you would like to say to either of your rivals tonight?” The recent allies looked at each other and shrugged. “Nothing at all?”

“Look, Renee… and team,” Dean bobbed at the table, “beating up Baron will be nothing new. Irritating Elias until he pops a guitar string will be the fun part.”

“The hard part,” Jose added, “will be for Baron and Elias if they can’t get into the groove.” He nudged Dean and began to sway his hips. Dean was more than happy to join in.

Booker T had seen enough. “Thank you. I believe Y/N is with Baron Corbin and Elias now to ask them about you. Y/N?”

You waved at the camera as the red light started to blink. “Indeed I am.” You angled yourself to your interviewees. “Having heard Dean and No Way Jose, what possible conflicts can you foresee in your tag match tonight?”

“None,” Elias grumbled.

Baron huffed. “I’ve fought and beaten Dean several times. Same with Jose. Tonight will be nothing different. I could fight them both on my own, but at the moment Elias and I have a common interest.”

Lucky you, he brought it up himself. “So, you’re not worried about any acts of self-preservation from your corner this evening? Like a guitar, if the match doesn’t go your way.” You took a step back as Baron towered over you.

“I can watch my own back. Nobody surprises or gets the jump on me easily.”

“Right,” Elias rolled his eyes, “like Y/N didn’t make you stand down when she got here. You did flinch when she shouted back at you.”

No, no, no, no. You shook your hand in front of you. “Hey, don’t bring me into this.”

“Why not?” Baron asked.

“Because I’m not going to be in the ring with you. Dean… Ambrose and No Way Jose will. I’m not a wrestler; I’m a journalist.”

“You’re the one that brought it up. Do we need your word that we won’t have to watch our backs? You are Ambrose’s cousin.” Elias encroached on Baron’s space, but the Lone Wolf didn’t seem to notice.

“I am seriously no threat to you.” This was not going well, not to mention you didn’t like the dangerous glint in either of their eyes. “And I’m not Dean. Now about your match tonight – “

“Save it,” Baron interrupted, “those two dancing lunatics are not going to be able to pin either one of us. Jose is too focused on dancing, and I don’t believe Dean is one hundred percent. It’ll be a walk in the park.” He turned and looked at Elias, who nodded back and led their exit accompanied by strumming. You sighed as they left you alone.

Back at the pre-show table, David Otunga whistled. “Strong words. Thoughts and response from you two?”

Jose and Dean looked blankly at each other. Dean cracked into a grin first. “Not really. Same old, same old from Baron. And still no Pearl Jam from Elias.”

Jose chuckled. “Do you think we can convince him to play some exit music for us when we win?”

Dean tapped his chin. “Dunno. Let’s go ask ‘im.” He gave Renee a quick pat on the back and a thank you, then he was gone. Jose hurried to keep up.

* * *

There was a moment of calm right before the first competitor of the men’s contract match entered the arena. Entrance music bounced between Raw and Smackdown wrestlers until Braun Strowman, The Miz, Finn Bálor, Rusev, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, and Roman Reigns were in the ring. Cesaro entered last, accompanied by Sheamus. They did their paired entrance together, ending with Cesaro handing off the top layers of his ring gear to Shamus. Then they broke apart so Cesaro could walk down the ramp alone.

The bell rang.

Mostly the athletes attacked the people from their same show. But as the first several were deposited outside the ring, the battle lines from before the shake-up came into play. Roman and Samoa Joe had an altercation on the floor. Bobby Roode and Rusev took turns slinging each other into turnbuckles. Cesaro teamed up with Miz momentarily against the short bond between Finn and Braun. Kevin hid out on the floor, waiting.

His opportunity came when Finn stared Braun down from atop feuding ladders. While Finn kicked Braun unsteady until he could slingblade the monster out of the way, Kevin rapidly ascended the other side. He reached the top, only to find a grinning Cesaro on the other side. They were both tipped out of the way by Samoa Joe on the canvas. He was hit from behind by Roman, who was hit in turn by Braun with a ladder. Roman did his best to avoid getting his ribs or skull crushed but found himself backed into a corner. Braun wedged in the ladder to trap him, then ran into the ladder, breaking it into Roman’s torso.

In the end, Finn was the one sitting on top of the ladder holding the briefcase in his lap. He held it high above his head.

“I’m coming for you,” he shouted. There were too many targets for you to figure out who he was talking to.

* * *

Seth had a slightly easier match. Sami and Bobby Lashley had weeks of practice of tearing each other apart. So, the champion hung back. He kept his laughing to himself and bided his time until he could get one of his challengers alone.

First, it was Lashley. Strength was on his side, but speed and energy were on Seth’s. For a moment. The audience gasped as Lashley caught Seth and traded hits until he could lift him up. Seth’s blood rushed into his head as Lashley waited for the best possible second to take his moment. Sami immediately stole it from him with an elbow to the back of the knee. The rivalry continued.

Next was Sami. He smugly danced across the ring to where Seth was recovering. The ref signaled for a break, giving Sami the opportunity to drum on Seth’s chest for a little bit.

Seth was not amused.

The smugness came at a cost. Sami was busy mocking Lashley’s unmoving body on the floor when Seth twisted him around and kneed him in the gut. The next thing Sami knew, the canvas rushed up to meet his face in a curb stomp, then he heard the bell ring from the flat of his back.

“And still your Intercontinental Champion: Seth Rollins!”

* * *

After the match between Asuka and Carmella, Elias was given the spotlight. He gave the crowd a few chords, then waited for them to quiet down. “I have got a life-changing song for you tonight. Not that this disgusting, cockroach-infested smudge on the map deserves it. But, I have made sure that you will not be denied the gift that you need tonight by Dean Ambrose or No Way Jose. You all need to hear this.” He plucked the pick across the strings twice before Baron’s music started. He shivered, irate, as Baron came into the ring.

“I promised it wouldn’t be Dean or Jose.” Baron smirked and bumped past Elias to their corner. Elias sat back down on the stool in hopes for a second chance, but Dean’s music hit next. He practically threw the guitar and sound gear at the ringside techie.

Dean waited at the bottom of the ramp for his partner for the evening. He joined the congo-line as it came by, then hopped into the ring with No Way Jose to wait for the bell.

Baron did everything he could to keep Elias angry. After each poke to his side or ego, Baron would step out of the way just as Dean or Jose was trying to attack. When it was his turn inside the ropes, neither Jose or Dean could find a rhythm to fight back. He almost took this too much to heart, playing to the crowd and turning his back on the Lunatic Fringe.

Which was never a good idea.

Elias saw the impending loss and tagged himself in. He tackled Dean to the canvas and chased after him to a corner to deliver a knee to his face. Dean collapsed and could barely move as Elias climbed the ropes. Baron rushed through the middle of the ring to slide under the bottom rope and take out Jose on the other side. He watched from the floor as Elias sailed through the air to drop a heavy elbow onto Dean’s chest and pin him.

Through blurred vision, Dean saw Baron roll Jose into the ring. Elias’s guitar theme music played while he and Elias stood over them with their arms raised.

Baron turned to Elias. “Let’s never do this again.”

“Agreed.”

Baron left alone to his music.

* * *

Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas lost quickly to Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt. It was over in the amount of time you were expecting the pre-show match to happen in. But there it was: Bray laying over Bo Dallas and then kneeling in front of Matt while they raised their retained championships.

* * *

In a real twist of fate, Nia held her own against the woman who was able to stand against Triple H. Whatever had happened the Monday before must have been for show. Or Nia was a fast learner. Because during the match Rhonda Rousey had Nia in an arm-bar. She screamed in pain and raised her hand like she was going to tap.

Then Nia laughed.

She kept laughing at Rhonda’s confused face. This time she was successful in picking up her opponent and running her back into a turnbuckle. She had to do it three more times before Rhonda’s grip slipped, but it did. Then Rhonda was at her mercy.

Nia retained.

As her music faded out, Nia held out her hand to Rhonda. She kept it steady and her face clear of any sign of malice. Once she had Rhonda’s hand in hers, she helped the other woman to her feet.

“This is your official welcome to the WWE, and to the women’s division. If you keep putting in that work, this,” she shook the belt on her shoulder, “will soon be yours. You just gotta put in the work.”

“I’ll do that. For any title. Even if it means I have to go through every woman… and man… on the roster.”

Nia smiled. “I look forward to it.”

* * *

Sonya Deville’s entrance was the first to bring the audience to their feet. She was followed by Liv Morgan, Billie Kay, Ember Moon, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Natalya, and finally Charlotte Flair.

For a few seconds after the bell, none of the women moved. They scoped out possible combatives and stole glances at the briefcase hanging overhead. Billie Kay moved first, impatient to get her hands on Charlotte. Liv Morgan went after Natalya, attacking her formally injured knee and forcing her out of the ring. Alexa grabbed onto Ember’s firey braids, swinging her around until she too was on the floor. Becky didn’t wait to be caught unawares. She clotheslined Sonya to the mat and went to help her friend. But while she was checking on Charlotte, they were both tipped over the ropes. The three newcomers and Alexa had won the first round.

Or so Alexa thought.

She found herself encircled by the other three women. It wasn’t long before she was sprawled outside the ring too. Then the two Smackdown women attacked Sonya, before turning on each other.

The former champions outside of the ring fought their way back in, bringing the first ladders with them. The crowd cheered and flinched with each acrobatic display and imaginative use of a ladder. Alexa waited until Ember eclipsed Charlotte off the top of one to scurry towards the contract. Her fingers brushed over the white and gold paint, then her feet were ripped out from under her. She regained her footing just enough to give a twisted bliss, but left the ladder open.

Becky moved quickly and didn’t stop until the contract and hook were in her hand. She about fell off the ladder with celebrating. It was hers. To display and use as she wished.

* * *

* * *

June 18 – Monday Night Raw – Grand Rapids, MI

Your Monday night began with a women’s interview. Bayley and Sasha were set to fight Natalya and Rhonda. Apparently, Sasha wanted to show them what a real friendship looked like. And take every opportunity to rub the athletes’ losses in their face.

“We’ve had our rough patches,” Sasha said into the mic you offered, “but we have got this match in the bag.” She looked straight into the camera. “No cat pun intended, Natalya.”

“Come on, even Y/N could take her. Right, Y/N?” Bayley nudged your arm. “There’s a warrior in there, we’ve seen her.”

“Oh, no. Look, I have a tiny bit of kickboxing. But that’s it. I’m not really an athlete that could keep up with you guys.”

Sasha chuffed. “You might want to get more than that. With the threats Corbin and Elias were throwing around.” She smiled sticky sweet as you gulped. “And yes, I think they were serious.” Sasha tugged on Bayley’s arm so they could get to Gorilla. What she said left you with a sinking feeling in your stomach.

A sudden hand on your shoulder made you jump. Seth backed off a few steps so you could catch your breath. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh, hey Seth. Congratulations on your match yesterday.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that. But, that’s not what I came over here for.” Seth’s cheery face took on a worried shadow.

“Oh?” If he was going to ask about Baron or Elias…

“I overheard a little of… that.” He waved in the directed that Sasha and Bayley had walked towards. “It might not mean much, but I could help you out if you wanted somebody to train with. Just so… uh… you’d be prepared. For something.”

It was a tempting offer. Still, it had been a while. “I don’t know how much I’d be able to do. You do some pretty intense stuff; I’d hate to slow you down.”

“You won’t. Really. You don’t have to make a decision right now. Just… think about it. You’re part of the family now, kid, and I don’t want you to get hurt.” Seth shuffled on his feet.

If this wasn’t so awkward he would almost be cute. And totally off limits. “I’ll think about it, though I can already tell you I would appreciate the help. If this works out, I’ll give it my all. You don’t think Dean would disapprove?”

Seth scrunched up his nose. “The attack everything that moves man? Nah. Think about it. Talk to Dean if you like. I’ve got to get ready for my match-“

“And I’ve got places to be.” You smiled at him. “Thank you. I’ll catch up with you later.” He took one hall while you took another. You wondered how soon you could take him up on that offer.

* * *

Despite their repeated tiffs, Bayley and Sasha were doing well. They used every advantage of their exhausted opponents. Bayley was more likely to use her speed where Sasha hit them in places that were sore from Sunday night. Bayley almost had Natalya when Sasha grabbed her ankle and dragged her out of the ring. She clotheslined her, ignoring the taunts and hisses of disapproval.

Sasha rolled Bayley back into the ring just as Natalya tagged in Rhonda.

The women stood opposite one another over Bayley. Even the ref was still. Sasha bowed at the waist, opening her arms over Bayley and backing away to lean in her own corner. Rhonda kept her gaze focused on her while she pinned Bayley. She and Natalya let their hands be raised, though confusion wrinkled their brows. They watched Sasha exit outside of the ring. She called back to them from the ramp.

“That’s how you do it… friends.”

* * *

Roman was frustrated. Money in the Bank was his third PPV where he was unable to reach his goal. And he didn’t really consider his match against Samoa Joe at Backlash a win either. He said as much in his interview with you.

“That contract last night was one of the last chances I had to bypass a lot of people to get to Lesnar. But, as always, I have to go the long way around. And I’m going to start with Braun Strowman.” He thanked you and left before you could get another question out.

Braun was waiting for him in the ring. They started with blows before the bell rang. Roman threw everything he had left at him. Braun did the same back. The commentary wondered in Angle should have given them street fight rules and saved the match for later in the show. They certainly fought like it.

But their volatile focus made them blind.

It barely registered that the crowd was booing someone other the Roman when Jinder slid into the ring. He took a second to look between Braun and Roman, then slapped Braun in the chest. The match was ruled a win for Braun by disqualification. Jinder was proud of himself. He had his revenge for being denied a place in the contract match, and now Braun had won because of him.

Braun didn’t see it that way. And he made sure Jinder caught those hands before he turned to finish his business with Roman. He was met with a spear that nearly sent him through the canvas. For the first time in a long time, the monster among men did not attempt to move. Roman took the split second of luck he had to stand on the ropes and pose. This disagreement was far from over.

* * *

“Thank you for your walk welcome.” Sami grinned and tipped his hat at every soul sitting in the arena booed him. “Yesterday was… not what I was expecting. But I’m going to move past that. No more thoughts about Seth Rollins. Or Bobby Lashley.” His grin morphed into disgust as the crowd cheered for the names he wanted to ignore. “Hey, stop that. Forget them. They are not important. What is important is the here and now. And the here and now… is the Sami Zayne show!” The camera panned back to reveal two footstools and one office chair. “Budget cuts. Not my fault. Anyway, let’s get the two athletes of the hour out here.”

There was a guitar riff and then Dean came bouncing out. Jose closely followed, headbanging along instead of coming out to his music. Sami tutted for them to get to the ring as quickly as possible. He guided them to sit down on the stools, even though their knees were practically at their chins.

“We have so much to talk about. There’s your defeat last night to Elias and Baron Corbin. Jose, you just got here and you’re already setting a bad record for yourself. And no dancing line tonight, what’s that about?” He talked over Jose trying to answer. “And Dean. Back from injury, but obviously not one hundred percent or Elias wouldn’t have been able to pin you last night. It really is astounding. You guys promised so much and delivered absolutely none of it.”

“Hey now,” Dean said, “No Way Jose brought the party last night. And it kept going after the match.”

Sami shook his head. “But that’s the problem. Too much party, not enough wrestling. This is WWE after all, not a dance hall.”

“I don’t know why you get to hate on us,” Jose said. “You lost your match last night too.”

The crowd oohed and agreed while Sami flapped his hands. “Now, now. At least mine was a title shot against one of the best in the business. And yours was for… what exactly? Pride? Ego? How’d that work out for ya?” Sami spun around in his chair, smirking and proud of himself.

Dean grinned. “And you got taken out because you were mocking your other opponent. Turning your back on Seth is never a good idea when he’s against you.”

“How’d that work out for ya?” Jose jabbed.

Flustered, Sami stood and moved to threaten one of them. His eyes darted between his two options, landing on Jose as his most likely to survive through. “Strong words from the man I’m going to beat tonight.” He motioned towards the stage. “Let’s get a ref down here. Sami Zayne versus No Way Jose.”

“We don’t have to wait for a ref.” Dean stood and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. Nobody could contain their laughter as he pulled out a wrinkled referee shirt. “You’ve got one.” He dropped his jacket to the outside and pulled the striped shirt over his head. The techies couldn’t even move the seats before he was motioning for the bell to ring.

Sami was surprised when it did. His mic thudded as it hit the canvas. His hat followed suit as Jose jumpstarted the match. With Sami caught unawares, it was quick. All he could do was turn around, and Jose was there with another move that sent him stumbling around the ring. Dean counted a super-fast ‘123’ and posed with Jose in the ring. Sami rolled out to the floor to glare at both of them.

* * *

The main event was an open challenge from Seth.

“I’ve still got this championship. It’s mine and I don’t foresee giving it up any time soon. But I am a fighting champion. I’m going to put in the work to keep this title prestigious and in the spotlight. So if there’s anyone back there not too exhausted from yesterday, or who thinks they’ve even got the smallest chance, come on down.” He dropped off his mic and handed the belt to the waiting ref.

Kevin Owens answered the challenge. He made it to the bottom of the ramp, then froze. In the ring, Seth looked questioningly at the stage as it faded into silver and blue.

Finn Balor walked out, briefcase at his side. He smiled all the way down the ramp, past Kevin, to Seth as he made his way around the ring, and at the announce table at the far end of the ring. They congratulated him on his win and asked him what his plans were.

“I’ve got plans. But all in good time.” He refused to say more about the contract while Seth fought off Kevin Owens. When Seth retained, Finn stood on the table and held the briefcase high. He jumped down with his grin, then walked out of the arena without a backward glance.


	7. Help From All Sides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader further talks her way into trouble with Sasha Banks. The first vengeful steps are taken as things ramp up for Extreme Rules.
> 
> Appearances: Sasha Banks, Natalya, Rhonda Rousey, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Bobby Roode, Elias, Roman Reigns, Jinder Mahal, Braun Strowman, Reader (Y/N)

June 25, 2018 – Monday Night Raw – San Diego, CA

“ _That’s how you do it… friends.”_ Sasha’s betrayal replayed on the back screen. As the video faded out, you turned to Sasha herself.

“That was… unexpected what you did last week. Why did you do it, especially when you had originally stated you wanted to show Natalya and Rhonda what ‘true’ friendship was?”

Sasha scoffed. “In this business, there are no friendships, only temporary alliances. Alexa and Nia, Charlotte and Dana, Owens and Jericho, even in your cousin’s team: the Shield.” She covered her mouth in pseudo-alarm. “Or did you know about that yet?”

“Yes, I have been made aware.” You let out a deep breath. “So if you don’t want a friendship with Natalya or Rhonda, you’re wanting an alliance? Do you really think they are going to trust you after what you did to Bayley?”

“They don’t have to trust me forever.” She looked past you and you heard footsteps. “They can break the alliance at any time. No false ties or hiding our true ambitions, just business. Does that sound fair to you two?”

Natalya and Rhonda stepped into the light. You turned the mic toward them to catch their response.

“Actually no, it doesn’t,” Natalya said. She glared at Sasha who snorted in disbelief. “First, you mock us, saying our friendship isn’t true. Then you turn on your friend and… ‘give’ her to Rhonda to pin.”

“Rhonda,” Sasha said, ignoring Natalya, “I’m not saying you’re not capable of a match. Wrestlemania proved you got what you need to succeed here. But your match with Nia…” she grimaced, “you needed some help.”

Rhonda put her hand on her training-buddy’s shoulder. “All anyone has been saying is that I’ve been helped enough. My first match was Wrestlemania, my first singles match was Money in the Bank. If I want a strong footing in this company, I need to actually take Nia’s advise and put in the work. And that means not accepting your… what, exactly? Backup?”

Sasha was bristling. “So that’s a no. Fine. You want to put in the work? How ‘bout you versus me, tonight? Have Natty in your corner, if you must. Neither she nor your arm-lock is going to help you. You will tap out. And it will be quick.” She turned her glare in your direction, making you lean back. Then she was gone with a huff. You took advantage of her absence.

“Thoughts on your impromptu match?”

Rhonda smiled. “Not really. Only I’d like to see her try to beat me. I guess I’m going to see it tonight.”

“Natalya? Any-“

“I’m going to talk to Kurt to make sure it will happen, and that Sasha can’t back out of it. If you want me ringside, I’ll be there. Otherwise, I’m going to enjoy watching her tap from the back.” They started to walk out. “Thanks, Y/N,” she said over her shoulder.

* * *

Sasha was waiting for her in the ring. Natalya was watching in a backstage screen. And Rhonda… Rhonda Rousey was having a bit of a standoff in Gorilla. The Riott Squad was blocking her path, but they stepped out of the way eventually. They made sure not even bump her; didn’t want to give her reason to do anything dangerous.

Rhonda was barely inside the ropes before Sasha motioned for the bell to ring. Corey wondered if she was oblivious or all-knowing of the stare-down. She worked quickly to drop Rhonda and injure her lower back. When she thought she had been successful, she twisted into the Bank Statement. Injured or not, Rhonda was able to flip onto Sasha’s back, forcing her to release.

The longer the match went on, the more frustrated Sasha became. She moved with a rage-fueled speed that kept Rhonda constantly on the defense. It also made her more likely to make a mistake.

In a premature moment of gloating, Rhonda caught Sasha and dropped for an arm-lock. Sasha struggled as long as she could but eventually tapped out. She rolled out of the ring fuming. The opponents maintained fierce eye contact during all of Sasha’s exit.

* * *

The ring was quickly set up with a tripod and a three-legged stool. Dean moved into the ring, gingerly holding a potted plant. He sat it down on the stool and took a poster board from a techie. The crowd cheered when they read ‘Ambrose Asylum.” He was just about to start his spiel when Kevin Owen’s music interrupted.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Dean said. “There’s no Owens show this week. Did you miss the memo?”

“There wasn’t a memo. And I’m not here to make this the Owens show.” Kevin stepped through the ropes and glanced warily at the plant.

Dean drummed on his mic. “You’re not my guest. Sami Zayn –“

“I’m here on Sami’s behalf.” Kevin grit his teeth and shifted his weight. “I don’t to be here any more than you want me here, but I knew you would spout a bunch of lies when he didn’t show.”

“So he’s not here at all?” Dean looked over his shoulder. “No hiding anywhere?”

“No,” he said impatiently. “Between your buddies Seth and No Way Jose, Sami’s hurt.” Kevin cut Dean off from replying. “You know, Sami and I left Smackdown to escape unfair rulings from unqualified referees. Last week’s match shouldn’t have happened at all! A real ref would have called for Jose’s disqualification barely two minutes into the match.”

Dean wiggled his shoulders. “So….” he held out, “I’m unqualified. According to you.” Kevin shook his head and muttered ‘yeah.’ “But I am qualified, otherwise I wouldn’t have the shirt. You can’t just buy those in the gift shop, ya know.” Kevin muttered something more, but Dean kept going. “But I get it. It wasn’t set by Angle, and Sami was unawares, and la-da-da. It’s always something with you two. Always something to complain about, like the world owes you something.”

“I certainly don’t owe these people anything,” Kevin said, motioning to the crowd. “I am one of, no, I am the best wrestler in the WWE and I deserve better treatment than I’ve been given. Given the chance, I could decimate you and never have to think about you again.” There was a pause as Kevin realized what he’d said. “No. No, no. Wait.”

“A chance?” Dean tapped his fingers across his collarbone. “I can give you chance. Though I don’t it’s going to turn out like you think. But I’m crazy. What do I know?” He stepped past Kevin and leaned on the ropes towards the ramp. “Hey Kurt, if you’re watching back there and you approve, can you send out a ref?” Dean smiled and laughed as one hesitantly came out from backstage. “Well lookie there, Kev. Clearance from Kurt Angle and a real qualified ref. Let’s get this going then.”

It took a minute for the Ambrose Asylum to be transformed back into a ring, but it was enough time for Kevin to come up with a plan. The first time Dean tried for a Dirty Deeds, Kevin struggled out of it and rolled out of the ring. Dean sighed and followed him, only to be met with a steel chair. Dean won by disqualification, and Kevin hurried out of the arena.

* * *

Roode answered Seth’s open challenge this week. They had been fighting for a few minutes when A guitar strumming made them pause. The lights dimmed a bit, and a spotlight landed on the stage.

Elias made an adjustment to his headset. “Hello, I am Elias. I would have been out earlier, but _somebody_ didn’t want me stealing their moment.”

In the ring, Seth motioned that it wasn’t him. Bobby Roode guiltily shrugged.

“So, I’m here now to sing something that you all need to hear. Normally I would require complete silence but given the circumstances, I’ve been assured that I will be heard over the unimportant ruckus in the ring. As for the rest of you, I need you all to silence your cellphones, hold your applause, and to shut your mouths.” He made a few tiny tweaks to his strings while Seth and Bobby hesitantly reached to grapple.

“In a dusty city street,” Elias sang, “it is easy to get lost.” Seth and Bobby stopped again, shrugging at each other. “When you bump into people you’d never want to meet-“

Seth grabbed a mic and leaned on the ropes facing the stage. “Can you not? We’re kind of busy here.”

Elias growled. “Yes I can, and no you’re not. This match is just another drop in the bucket, completely identical to all the other ones you’ve wrestled.”

“It’s important because I made it important.”

“That’s what Miz was always saying about his title that you stole. You know, I never thought you two ran on the same brain waves until now… but that does explain a lot.” He plucked a few strings. “You may continue your match while I give San Diego what it really wants.”

Seth was in the middle of a ramble of no’s when Bobby scooped him up from behind for a roll up. He was able to get out and reverse to retain. Elias’s serenade was interrupted by his music, so he finally gave up trying to play.

* * *

Your last interview of the night was with Roman. He was going to be on commentary while Braun took out his frustration on Jinder Mahal.

“Roman, how do you… actually, when was the last time you were on commentary?” You’d forgotten to ask Dana and would have left it alone, but you were curious.

He chuckled. “I don’t know. If I have been at, it’s been a while. I’m usually in the ring or watching backstage. People don’t usually like what I have to say, so they don’t ask for me to join the table.”

“Hmm. That being said, do you have any statements you want to make about the match before you join them? Who do you think is going to win?”

“Braun. Jinder has surprised me since he moved to Raw, but Braun’s mad. I’ve been on the receiving end of that, so I know how intense it’s going to get. And Sunil won’t be able to help either. Before I go out there, I actually had a question for you.”

“Oh?”

“Seth let it slip that he trained with you a little last week.”

“Yeah, um. Helping to make sure I’ve got what it takes to watch my own back if something happens.”

He nodded, pleased. “Good. If you’d like any more help, let me know. We’ve got two different styles-“

“And it would be good to know how to fight someone much bigger than myself. I don’t want to steal any of your time-“

“Not at all. Anytime. I’ll see you around.” He left you in the hallway. You couldn’t help but smile with excitement.

* * *

You never knew Roman could be so sassy or sarcastic as when he was messing with Corey Graves. Cole ate it up, agreeing with Roman at every chance just to get under Corey’s skin.

Jinder was decimated very quickly and without mercy. Once he’d won, Braun stood on the turnbuckles and copied Roman’s pose. He tried to goad him down to the ring, but the Big Dog was in too good a mood. Roman stood and made eye contact just to leave the arena without interfering, much to the chagrin of the audience and Braun.

Jinder made the mistake of moving just as Roman’s music faded. There wasn’t enough time in the show for anyone at home to see the destruction, but there were plenty of phone videos to watch the next morning.


	8. Focused on Alignments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean comes to help Roman after a minute-alliance goes south. The Reader expresses her fears for Dean to Seth and gets pulled further into the tension between Sasha and Bayley.

July 2, 2018 – Monday Night Raw – Sioux Falls, South Dakota

“Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns have no respect for the Modern Day Maharaja.” Jinder glared at the crowd as they booed him. “Every dirty trick they use is an example of their lack of dignity.” He smiled and pressed a hand to his chest. “But I can put Braun’s actions from last week, and Roman’s continued disgrace behind me… if there is an apology.”

Even Sunil groaned. Nobody believed such a thing would happen. And yet, the bass of Roman’s music sounded. He came out much to everyone’s surprise and lifted a mic to his lips.

“An apology? An apology.” Roman shook his head. “Jinder, all that you have gotten is what you have deserved. Every dirty trick,” Roman quoted, “was a mirror of what you and your reconnaissance man do every match you have. Unless… the apology you were talking about was going to be coming from you and Sunil?” Roman smiled with the challenge.

Jinder shouted at him from the stage. He grabbed Sunil by his shirt collar before he could jump up onto the ropes. He sputtered and fumed. “Me? Apologize to you. No. A Maharaja does not apologize to the likes of you. A failure. To yourself and to your legacy.”

Roman ignored that last bit. “Fine. But you should really reconsider apologizing to Braun.” He made a show of looking past Jinder to the floor on the other side of the ring.

As everyone’s attention was shifted to that side, Braun stepped into the light and stepped up onto the apron. Jinder and Sunil backed away, two seconds from freezing in fear while Braun stepped over the top rope. Jinder threw Sunil in Braun’s direction and escaped to the floor. Keeping his attention on the ring was a mistake. By the time he turned to face the ramp, he was speared by Roman and then tossed back into the ring. Braun threw Sunil up in the air and let gravity take its course. Jinder looked up as Braun’s boot stopped right in front of his face. He grappled for the bottom rope, but Braun hauled him over his shoulder anyway. A few seconds later Jinder was as motionless as Sunil. Roman moved into the ring to gloat.

Michael Cole made some comment about a possible future team a few seconds too early.

Braun kicked Roman in the stomach and then hauled him up too. He roared to the crowd over Roman’s still jerking body. He was about to lift him up again when Dean’s guitar riff cut through the air.

Dean came running down to the ring at a breakneck pace. He kicked the monster down a bit then jumped up on his back for the tightest sleeper-hold he could manage. His attention flicked to a far corner and he quickly slid off before Roman came up with a spear.

Jinder and Sunil were long gone before Braun rolled out of the ring. He left the way he came so there wouldn’t be an altercation in Gorilla. That was perfectly fine with the last men standing. The Shield brothers celebrated for a moment like no time had passed.

“No. No. No. This… uhuh.” Kevin Owens came out onto the stage. His eyes kept a lookout for Braun, but he directed the rest of his energy to the ring. “You really shouldn’t be doing that Dean. You’ve got other issues to deal with. I’m not finished proving to you that you’re not ready to really come back.”

Dean took the mic Roman handed to him. “I’ve been back for weeks, my man.”

“Yeah, and what have done since then? You managed to piss off Baron again, and that didn’t go well. The old Dean Ambrose would have fought everyone in the locker room by now. You? You’ve had what… two? Three opponents? You are not one hundred percent. I, on the other hand, am doing just fine. I’m going to finish you off, then I’m coming for you, Roman. If Braun and Jinder don’t render you useless first.”

“You keep my brother’s name out of your mouth, Kevin.” Dean paced back and forth. “You want to try to break me? Come on then, right here right now is a good a time as any.” He tossed down the mic and spread his arms. Roman stepped back to lean in a corner and watch the show.

Kevin took a few steps forward, then shook his head. “You want to know why I’m not going to do that? You want to know why Dean? It’s because you’re already broken. Yeah. You left and the WWE has moved on. I took you out with a few chair strikes last week. The old you would have kept on swinging. Well, not like you’ve ever been able to see chairs coming.” He smirked, proud of that last ribbing. He should have been terrified of the results.

Dean picked up the mic, stopped his pacing and stood square. “I’m broken? Yeah, I’m broken. Nothing new. By the end of every match I’ve ever been in I usually am. Chairs, tables, ladders, chains, razors, glass? They don’t break me. Just flesh wounds. What breaks me is guys like you walking around like you own the place when you can’t stay in the ring and face the end like a man. Winning, losing, none of that matters to me. Getting to beat cowards like you into pulp? Now that’s winning. I don’t need any of those things to beat you, but you want to use chairs? Fine. Disqualification can’t save you. I’m broken? Damn right I am. And it’s what you’re gonna be before Extreme Rules is over!” He grinned towards Kevin’s horrified face. “I’ll see you at Extreme Rules.”

* * *

While Kevin scurried to the back, you turned to Seth for his pre-match interview.

“Another week, another open challenge for the fighting champion. Your matches have been a little… hectic here of late, but do you ever worry about your Shield partners? Dean did just get back from injury. Do you think there is a risk of another?” You wanted to ask him about Dean personally and get a personal answer, but keeping the distance between you and your cousin was keeping you out of trouble so far.

“I’m not worried for either of them. If they need help, we usually ask each other for backup. I would have been out there if Roman or Dean needed me. And Dean is made of lunacy and adrenaline. He’s going to be here until the last possible second.” Seth shifted the belt higher on his shoulder and waited for your next question.

“Who do you think is going to answer the challenge tonight? Many have, but you’ve still got the Intercontinental Championship. Can you see anyone challenging you for it at Extreme Rules?”

Seth laughed. “Oh, yeah. There’s one name in mind, but he’s being dramatic and hasn’t stepped up yet. Tonight, I might give him a little push to get a rile out of ‘im. Either way, if things go according to plan, Extreme Rules will get to see me walk in as champion, and walk out as champion. Just like every week.” Seth nodded and turned to walk away but saw your nervousness. “And don’t worry about Dean. He’s going to be just fine. Kevin Owen’s the one who should be worried.”

It made you feel slightly better. But not by much.

* * *

“Ladies and gentlemen: Elias.”

He strummed a little then paused for applause. “There are no words for how much I hate this wanna-be oasis in the desert.” He ignored the instant disapproval. “You probably thought you came here to see a bunch of men and women fight. No. This right here, me; I am the real main event. After all, WWE stands for? Walk with Elias.” He smiled as they got it. “Okay, but words or not, you all still need to hear this. My music will heal your dried-up souls and guide you to a real life. If this music doesn’t save the lot of you, nothing will. Now I need you to silence your cell phones, hold your applause, and shut your mouths.”

Sioux Falls was doomed to be lost because they never heard the song. They didn’t seem to mind, though, going by how loud they shouted ‘burn it down’ with Seth’s entrance. He waltzed out with a mischievous smirk on his face. He gave Elias a shrug from the apron then continued his usual actions around the ring.

Elias left with a huff and a tight grip around the neck of his guitar.

“Alright. You guys know the drill. Who’s coming out tonight?” Seth held his belt high and waited.

It would have been Zack Ryder, but he barely made it five steps onto the step before Seth and the audience was shouting for him to watch his back. Zack turned around just in time to catch Elias’s guitar. He was mostly injured in his forearms, but it was enough to keep him from answering the challenge. Elias continued to the ring in his stead, carrying his splintered guitar with him.

He waited for the bell to ring at least before swinging the mess of wood and strings. Seth ducked the first time, but the immediate return swing caught him on the side of the head. Elias followed after him with kicks as Seth stumbled. The ref called for the bell, ruling Seth the winner by disqualification.

“Is that enough of a step up for you, Rollins?” Elias kicked him out of the ring. He watched as the ref helped the battered champion to his feet and handed him the belt. “Or was it too dramatic for you?”

Seth was confused. Why would Elias throw his chance like that? Was he going to let him disrespect him like that? There was only one more week before Extreme Rules. Perhaps he could still get the match he wanted and give Elias his due diligence for this week’s attack. Seth left the arena with a knowing smile and went to find Kurt Angle.

* * *

The night was wrapping up. You were in the back about to interview Bayley and Ember Moon. “You two seem to have become close friends. When can we expect you guys to team up, and who would you like to be in a match against?”

“Ooooh,” Bayley awed. “The Riott Squad is always looking for a fight.”

Ember nodded. “Mhmm. Agreed. But I kinda want to see what we could do against Natalya and Rousey. Though I don’t know how much this friendship could last if the Women’s Championship is on the line in the future.”

“In such matches, every woman for herself.” Bayley nudged Ember. “No hard feelings.”

You bit your lip. “Speaking of which, how have you been, Bayley, since Sasha’s… twist of alliance two weeks ago?”

“Who cares?” Sasha walked up behind you and trapped you in the circle. “This is a business, and two weeks ago was business. I have to admit, it didn’t work out like I wanted too. It’s Raw though; when does it ever?” Sasha smiled at Bayley. “No hard feelings, right?” She nudged Bayley in front of you, but Bayley flinched.

“Not this time Sasha. I can forgive a lot of things, and I have. But you’ve shown your true face, and quite loudly. You can make all the alliances you like, but you won’t make another one with me. Never again. I’m tired of getting stabbed in the back.”

Sasha pushed past you and got in Bayley’s face. “My true face? What about yours? Hugs and smiles and never stepping up to take what you want because you’ll hurt someone. You can’t let your true self through because you built up such a façade. At least I own who I am. I’m a woman who knows what I want and I will get it. But your… façade is in my way. I could have been part of a team with the likes of champions like Natalya and Rousey. You think I’ve stabbed you in the back? What about every time you let me down? Came up short and cost me? I will be the Raw Women’s Champion again, and I will cut through anybody who stands in my way. Like you, at Extreme Rules, if you think you can handle it.”

Bayley scoffed. “You’re thinking it’s going to be a quick match. Typical. You can’t see past my non-existent façade because you can’t see past your own prejudice of the world.” Bayley stepped to stand toe to toe with her. “I will see you there. And the Bayley you will finally see will be the one who has always been here. But now she’ll be against you. And you won’t be able to get up off the mat.”

A techie flagged you down. The second to last match was about to start. “Um, Sasha. Your match against Alexa and Mickie James? Who is your partner?”

Ember stepped back into the fray. Bayley looked shocked. “She asked me earlier.”

“We are teaming up to whittle down the competition for number one contender,” Sasha quipped. “If you hadn’t cost me everything, I would’ve been there by now. Thankfully,” she threw her arm over Ember’s shoulder, “there are new reliable women in the division.”

Ember looked back as Sasha walked away with her. Bayley looked after them clenching and unclenching her fists, but also breathing wearily on Ember’s behalf.

* * *

There was a match between the Authors of Pain and Titus World Wide before the main event. Ember was waiting outside of Gorilla for Sasha when Dana got her attention.

“Best of luck out there tonight. Heads up, the best time to get Alexa is when she has a tantrum. The more you irritate her, the more mistakes she makes.”

“Thanks.” Ember attached her hood, thinking Dana was done.

Dana tapped her shoulder again. “And one more thing, if you’ve got a second.”

“Sure. Any statistics you can give me on opponents would be great.”

“It’s… it’s not about your opponent. It’s about your partner.” Dana shifted her weight and took off her glasses. “Sasha has… a history of turning on people. As long as her plan works, you will be her best friend and you’ll get as many opportunities as Kurt can give us. Once you’re useless, she drops you.” She lightly laid her hand on Ember’s shoulder before the war goddess could speak. “Take it from someone who’s been in a similar situation, the crash and burn ending is not worth it. So, watch your back out there tonight. Like Sasha keeps pointing out, it’s all business.” She nodded and moved out a few seconds before Sasha showed up.

“What’d she want?”

“Nothing.” Ember flipped up her hood. “Let’s do this.”

***

Sasha and Ember were successful and sealed their singles match for who would become the number one contender after Extreme Rules. Like in matches past, Ember brought down the target with an Eclipse, and Sasha locked in the Bank Statement for the tap and win.

Bayley watched from commentary, silent for the last few minutes of the match.

The ref raised Sasha’s hand and she raised up Ember’s. But Ember didn’t celebrate. According to every woman in the locker room, she had just painted a giant target on her back. And was going to make sure she didn’t turn it in Sasha’s direction. She left the ring alone. Walked up the ramp alone. And kept Sasha in her sights all the way until she slipped backstage.

Bayley also had her eyes on Sasha. The Boss was more than happy to have that effect on the women.

“She knows what she wants,” Bayley finally said. “Ember’s going to need to watch her back next week. And she’s going to get her revenge from me at Extreme Rules. But she better watch out. Not all of the Boss’s plans go off without a hitch.”


	9. Chance and Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader gets caught in the middle of an attack on Roman. The final touches are put into place for Extreme Rules.

Monday Night Raw – July 9, 2018 – Boston, MA

Seth was past being subtle and he hoped Elias was too. The crowd screamed along with his entrance and he made his way to the ring like a man on a mission. They tried to start a Rollins chant, but he waved them away.

“No, no, no, no, no. We’ve got to get something out of the way. All of these open challenges have been fun, but who I want to fight hasn’t answered. Not like he should have. But that’s alright. That’s what we’ve got a manager for.” Seth paced around the ring. “I talked to Kurt Angle, and if my opponent answers the challenge, we’re gonna have one hell of a match at Extreme Rules. Elias, can you drift your way out here?”

There was a pause. Seth shifted his weight and shook his head. A bright grin broke out on his face as he heard the strum of a guitar. But he was confused; Elias wasn’t on the stage. The strumming came again, and the crowd started screaming. Seth spun around, and Elias was leaning against the ropes.

“Rollins,” he said with a nod.

Seth eyed how Elias was holding his guitar. “Which Delilah is she?” Rollins counted on his fingers. “Are you at ten yet, or…”

“Delilah is always Delilah. Doesn’t matter how many times the song breaks, the tune will always be the same. And so will the pain each time she comes into play. Right, Rollins?” Elias smirked. “How’s your head?”

“Just fine,” Seth smirked back. “As a matter of fact, I would like to return the favor. You up for an Extreme Rules match on Sunday?” He held up the Intercontinental Championship. “I would fight to the ends of the world to keep this. The past several weeks you have done just about everything to make me lose it but get involved fully yourself. If you were trying to piss me off, congratulations, you’ve done it. On Sunday, under this ring, there will be tables, chairs, and everything we can use to break each other. Use them, bring your guitar, bring your best. ‘Cause I am going to-“

Seth didn’t get to finish as Elias quickly moved forward and crashed his guitar over Seth’s shoulder. While Seth was trying to catch his breath, Elias towered over him.

“Bring your best. Your ego. Your all. It won’t be enough.” He left the ring, broken guitar over his shoulder. On the floor, he turned around and gave Seth a mock bow, who could only grimace and glower back.

* * *

Jinder had been able to secure a match with Titus O’Neil. He claimed it “was one last bit of sparring before Extreme Rules” where he was “sure” to beat both Braun and Roman and ensure the coveted spot for the Universal Championship.

Despite Apollo Creed and Dana accompanying Titus to the ring, Sunil was able to interfere several times. At one point, Dana was able to knock him over the head with her clipboard, but that only kept him out of trouble for a few minutes. Minutes that Jinder was able to use his own skill to beat down the founder of Titus Worldwide. Sunil was about to interfere again as an ankle grabber when a large hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He was thrown nearly the entire length of the ring where he crashed into a barricade.

Jinder hurried to the ropes and came face to face with Braun Strowman. The monster among men stepped off the apron and smiled. Jinder started to shout at him when Titus scooped him up. Jinder was rolled up for the pin. Titus Worldwide had a short celebration outside the ramp, then they hurried out of the arena. Braun stepped into the ring and quickly neutralized Jinder for his customary drop. He roared and left.

This could not be allowed.

Sunil stumbled ahead as they searched for Kurt Angle. Jinder pushed his announcer out of the way when they found him.

“What kind of a manager are you? Letting Braun go around and do whatever he wants. It’s terrible leadership. What are you going to do about his actions.”

Kurt sighed. “Nothing.” He waved his hands and kept going before Jinder could interrupt him. “I watched everything before Braun showed up. You had an advantage over Titus O’Neil because of Sunil, who I know was working under your orders. So from what I could see… you’re even. You had the advantage, then Braun gave enough to Titus so he did. Considering everything, I think the superstar who won was the right one.”

Jinder scoffed. “So there’s not going to be any consequences.”

Kurt pursed his lips and thought. “No.” He rubbed his head as Jinder huffed and stormed off. This was either the easiest blow-off he had given so far, or it was the worst decision he’d made in a while.

* * *

Further backstage Ember was roaming the hallways. Her forehead was creased, and everybody could just about see the cogs of her mind tumbling over one another. She shadowboxed at an extra steel frame for the stage. A sing-song voice made her freeze.

“Ember!” Sasha came up next to her, all smiles. Ember tried to walk away, but Sasha followed. “I need to talk to you. About Extreme Rules.”

With a sigh, Ember stopped. “Me too. Sasha-“

“Bayley is all hugs and smiles, I know, but she’s also full of fight. It won’t hard to beat her, but we’ve got our match next Monday and I don’t want to jip you a great match by giving all my energy to Bayley. If Bayley wasn’t in the way, we could have been having our number one contender’s match on Sunday.” She nudged Ember’s shoulder. “Fate is a funny thing. So can I count on you to have my back? There’re no disqualifications. No rules. We can do anything. You in?” Sasha held out her hand for a handshake.

Ember took Sasha’s hand and curled her fingers into her palm. “No.”

“What?” she growled.

“I’m not going to have your back on Sunday. If it had only been one person, maybe. But nearly the entire women’s roster is telling me to not trust you. So, I’m not going to. If I was in your position, I’d use Extreme Rules as a chance to take out Bayley, and then turn around and use what I could to weaken you before Monday.” Ember watched Sasha’s eyes widen. “That was your plan, right?” She shook her head. “No. I won’t have your back on Sunday. See you on Monday.”

Ember walked away. The other woman stood irate until Ember rounded a corner.

Then all hell broke loose.

Sasha threw everything she could get her hands on. Chairs. Papers. She tipped over the steel frame, ignoring the people it almost landed on. They all stayed back as she let out a harsh scream.

When her lungs finally gave out, she brushed back her hair with a huff. “What are you looking at?” She pushed past a bewildered techie. Ready for battle. With anybody.

* * *

“Excuse me, Mr. Ziggler?” You rushed to catch up and nearly bumping into his partner, Drew McIntyre. Not that it was a bad thing. “Um, you guys have a match tonight to become number one contenders for the tag team champions. What are your thoughts on your opponents for the evening?”

Dolph sniggered. “The ‘Authors of Pain’?” He smiled up at Drew. “They just got here and they think they even deserve a chance at the titles? Whew. The audacity.” He eyed you up and down, making you clear your throat and shift your attention to Drew.

“Mr. McIntyre, they have shown themselves to be incredibly strong. Do you foresee any problems in keeping up-“

“Keepin’ up? Lass, they will be the ones strugglin’ to keep up. We ‘ave years of experience an’ it has served us well.”

“They don’t stand a chance,” Dolph added. He stepped closer to you and laid his hand on your shoulder. “Speaking of chance….”

“Mr. Ziggler?” You eyed him warily.

“Dolph, please. Life is a game of chance, don’t you think? So what about this bet: we win I get to take you out to dinner. If we lose I have to settle for your number?”

You shuddered and took a step back. “I only gamble with my money, Mr. Ziggler, never with my life. Good luck in your match.” Dolph had kept his hand on your shoulder, so you pushed it off and walked away hoping he wouldn’t try to talk to you after the match.

It looked like it was going to be unlikely. New or not, the Authors of Pain did a great job of keeping the veterans on their toes. They weren’t as fast as Dolph, but they were sturdy and hitting them was like hitting a brick wall. The sturdiness carried into fighting Drew, with Akam surprising Drew with a suplex.

You considered taking them a collection of cookies when they pinned your unwanted suitor. 

* * *

The last match of the night had been set up between Finn Balor and Bobby Lashley. Something about wanting to show off in a past versus future of the company match. It was mostly going to be for show with nothing to be gained except for pride, so you answered when the stage manager was looking for someone to interview Roman.

You found him packing up his stuff at a hall convergence. Seth and Dean walking away in the background. “Hey, Roman.”

He dropped his stuff and answered you with a smile. “Hey, Y/N. What can I answer for you this evening?”

“I’m kinda wondering what you’re going to be doing for Extreme Rules. Seth has got his extreme match with Elias, and Dean has one with Kevin Owens. Dana hasn’t completely caught me up, but as far as I know, this is your first pay-per-view without a match in… a while if not ever.”

He nodded. “Yeah, it is. I mean, the night’s not over… and I have to say I might actually be looking forward to getting to just enjoy a show for once. And it’s not like I won’t have anything to do. I’ve got my brothers to root for, to have their backs if they ask.” He chuckled. “I’m going to be there anyway, even if technically I’ve got the night off.”

“You guys really are like brothers,” you asked with a hushed voice. Sounded nice.

“Yeah, we are.” He gave your shoulder a slight nudge. “How’s the training coming?” He grinned as you perked up.

“It’s going great. Thanks for your help, by the way. I don’t think I could handle a whole match by myself or anything, but I can watch my back. I think.”

“That’s good. Have you-“

You were grabbed from behind and Roman was pushed into the wall. Jinder punched at Roman’s torso until he fell. Then he continued with kicks. Seth and Dean came running up and were able to pull Jinder away for their own attack.

The ruckus had summoned a series of security guards and an irritated Kurt Angle. He stood between Jinder and the Shield. “What are you doing? You can’t just do whatever you want.”

“That’s not what you said about Braun earlier.”

Kurt grit his teeth. “I explained by choice then. You were already crossing the line. Braun’s actions more or less pushed you back across it. Or I thought they did.” Roman surged forward, making Kurt struggle to push him back. “This has got to stop. Roman, you go one way, and Jinder you go the other way. I’ve got something to announce before the last match.”

Roman and Jinder stared each other down.

“Roman?” you squeaked. He looked back at you and stood down. Jinder was smirking, so you glared at him. “Jinder,” you said darkly. His forehead scrunched up, but he did leave. Kurt headed towards Gorilla.

“Hey,” Dean caught your attention. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” You looked back at Sunil, whom nobody had seemed to notice yet. “I’m fine.” You hugged yourself and picked at the fabric of your sleeves. Did you really just-

“Hey,” Dean said softly. He looked at you, trying to look past the mask you’d built. He opened his arms to talk, but you stepped into his chest. Like clockwork relearning how to tick, his arms closed around your shoulders. Dean relaxed into the hug as you did. Your stomach felt like it was full of butterflies, but not quite. More like finding the missing piece to a thousand-piece puzzle. The one from the center that completed the picture and made you feel accomplished. The last one right before you took the puzzle apart to start a brand new one. One that hopefully wouldn’t be missing anything. Dean broke into your thoughts. “You okay, ladybug?”

“Yeah.” You took a deep breath and stepped away. “You guys were packing up. Didn’t mean to keep you from that.”

Seth snorted. “Don’t worry about it. Jinder did the interrupting. Not you.”

It made you smile. “Still, I don’t want to hold you back. I’ll see you guys Sunday.” You gave them a hesitant wave and left for Gorilla to catch Kurt’s announcement.

* * *

Kurt went out with no music. “On Monday Night Raw, superstars are supposed to settle their differences in the ring. It’s to keep backstage free from becoming dangerous for everyone involved in making the show happen every week. That is why I am setting the last Raw match at Extreme Rules between Jinder Mahal, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns. That match will be a triple threat number one contender’s match for who will get to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.” He sighed while the crowd reacted. “Hopefully this will clear things up. Now for our main event.”

Finn Balor’s music started before Kurt could get off the stage. He was beaming and carrying his briefcase. He would end up winning against Bobby Lashley, each wrestler impressed by the other in a rare clean ending for Raw.


	10. Unfortunate Circumstances (Extreme Rules)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Sunday it is time for Extreme Rules. Tables are busted, titles change hands, and the momentum carries into Monday night where new and unlikely alliances are made.

Extreme Rules – July 15, 2018 – Pittsburgh, PA

Neither Sasha or Bayley came to the announce table for the pre-show. They both kept to opposite sides of the arena, or as much as they could backstage. Thankfully you didn’t have to bother with either, and Renee was handling the questions.

Bayley rolled her eyes at Renee’s suggestion that the match would be more than she could handle. “I don’t know why everybody keeps saying that. When we were in the Four Horsewomen, I handled plenty. What’s been holding me back all this time since then is my friendship with Sasha. The power of a fighting heart with mercy. And my effort to show the WWE Universe that you don’t have to be cruel and backstabbing to get to the top.”

“Do you feel like tonight’s match goes against the principles you have built up during your career?”

“No,” she answered immediately. “My principles are still under my control and this match, no matter the outcome, will change that. At the end of this, I will still be the hard worker and dedicated wrestler I entered the ring as. But Sasha? She’s going to leave having finally realized that everybody can see through her lies to who she really is: a woman terrified of being left in the dust. Every match, Sasha gives her heart and soul for a victory. Tonight, it’s not going to be enough.”

“Thank you, Bayley. And we go to Sasha to hear her thoughts about tonight’s match. Sasha?” Renee waited until she was on-screen. “Bayley had some strong opinions about you. Are any of them true?”

Sasha scoffed. “No. I’m terrified. I’m not a backstabber. I am see-through though, I guess. I’ve never lied about who I am or what I was after. Bayley? She’s a little girl in a woman’s world. All she’s dedicated to is keeping her fans smiling and hugging each other while she’s lost sight of the main goal. Ha, mercy. Mercy has no place in the world we fight in. Tomorrow night I’m taking the next step towards the goal of winning the Raw Women’s Championship. And where will Bayley be? Oh yeah, sitting in the back watching me win my opportunity she squandered.”

“But what about tonight? Is tonight’s extreme rules match a deviation from your plan?’

“Not at all. If anything, it fits in perfectly.” Sasha smiled, sticky sweet. “Tonight is going to show Ember Moon just how far I will go to win and what she has to look forward to since she crossed me. And it will show the same to Nia as I come to take away her crown. And once I’m Raw Women’s Champion? The Raw Women’s roster is going to have a new, real, boss in charge.” She did her pose just before the attention blipped back to the announce table.

Everybody leaned back in their chairs and let out the breaths they had been holding.

Otunga spoke up first. “Let me be the first one to say, this match is going to be intense. Both of these women have something to prove, and they are not leaving the ring until they do so.”

There was an agreement that what was to come would blow the roof off the arena, but there was dissidence in who was going to come out on top. Per usual, the predictions came out about even towards both Sasha and Bayley.

Renee shook her head. “I guess we’re just going to have to wait and see. Though you all made great points! As the clock ticks down to the official start of Extreme Rules, it is now time for the match between the Authors of Pain and the Deleters of Worlds, Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt.” She directed to Corey, Cole, and Coachman on the announce table so they could call the match.

Akam and Rezar entered first. They stood back to back in the ring as Hardy’s music started. If the Deleters of Words were going to teleport into the ring, they were going to be ready.

It was unnecessary since Hardy and Bray entered from the stage. They circled the Authors of Pain who refused to move from their position. Bray blew out the flame in his lantern and the lights came up, revealing him in one corner and Hardy diagonal from him with their opponents in the middle. Jojo looked at the ref, questioning whether she should start with things so tense. Hardy and Bray took a step towards their corner. Akam and Rezar took a step toward theirs. This continued until both teams were where they supposed to be.

Jojo breathed a sigh of relief. “The following match is a championship match for the Raw Tag Team Titles. The competitors: the Authors of Pain!” They roared to the crowd while keeping their eyes on the other corner. “And the defending champions: Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt!” Bray kneeled in front of Hardy with his arms outstretched while Hardy laughed above him. Jojo made her exit quick before the bell rang.

For all of their potential, the Authors of Pain did not yet have the skill. Hardy and Bray’s mind games skill far exceeded their own. Their egos were toyed with, like two alley cats circled by vultures. It wasn’t a quick match by any means. The newcomers held their own as long as they could. What caused their downfall was not watching the other’s back, weakening them one sneak attack at a time until there was nothing left. By the time the realized what was happening, and tried a similar tactic, the match was over.

The Authors of Pain had just enough strength to roll out of the ring. They glared with disdain at their champions.

***

* * *

It was one hell of a way to start Extreme Rules.

They were on each other like lionesses. The ref couldn’t do much besides keeping out of the way. If one woman crashed exceptionally hard, he checked for blood and asked them if they could continue. They always said yes. If anyone had asked him later what scared him the most, it wasn’t the kendo sticks, chairs, or the broken announce table. It was the claws. Everything was legal, including ignoring punching for swiping their manicured nails across each other’s faces and backs.

For the most part, Sasha had the upper hand. Like she planned. Throughout the match, she taunted Bayley. “Give up!” she would scream. “You will never be better than me.” Punch. Kick. “Everybody will forget about you.” Sasha slammed her head to the mat using her hair. She was about to maneuver for a Bank Statement when Bayley made her move.

Bayley was a hugger. She used her Bayley to Bellies. She was sure of herself. She bounced off the rope and jumped into unknown airspace. Bayley was dedicated; even when her lungs burned and her chest heaved, she kept moving.

Both were running out of steam as the match took its toll. Their bodies were riddled with bruises and red welts. Sasha stumbled into the ropes on one side, while Bayley leaned on the ropes across from her. They stared at each other. Sasha’s eyes were full of malice. Bayley’s with determination. With a split second of recognition, both scurried to opposite corners and leaped. Their bodies collided in mid-air, tumbling and thrashing long before they hit the canvas. Bayley was the first to recover. She didn’t go immediately for a pin. Instead, she sat on Sasha’s stomach and punched at her head and torso until Sasha stopped fighting back.

The ref counted to three.

He raised Bayley’s arm in victory, though she wasn’t smiling. But she was proud. She surveyed the carnage around the ring and shook her head. Before she left, she stood next to where Sasha was lying.

“Everyone will remember this match. And how I beat you. Good luck with your match tomorrow.”

Bayley walked away without looking back while Sasha stared daggers into her shoulder blades.

***

* * *

Depending on who was looking, Jinder was a smart man. Although Kurt Angle had banned Sunil from ringside at the last minute, Jinder had a plan. Which included rolling out of the ring as soon as the bell rang. It left the bitter rivals together to completely demolish one another while he preserved his energy.

What he didn’t anticipate was both Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns rolling out after him. They blocked any entrance that wasn’t into the ring. Roman moved the fastest, so he was in the ring sooner and made sure the Maharaja didn’t escape towards the ramp while Braun kept him from moving back to the floor. Past that, any alliance or temporary teamwork fell apart.

Roman would superman punch one only to get caught in a choke hold from the other. Braun would choke slam one, then get taken out at the knees. Jinder would chop the chest of either and found that it was not as useful in the ring at Extreme Rules. So, a flurry of punches would have to suffice.

Braun tossed Roman over the ropes to the floor then turned his attention to Jinder. Jinder was tired of running away. He ran toward the monster and was able to knock him off his feet. In all honesty, he didn’t want to face Brock at Summer Slam or anywhere. To him, it was one less giant to fight. He had his pride to defend, and while a championship would be great, it was not necessary to his life. ON the other hand, Braun and Roman had insulted his abilities enough. Jinder channeled his frustration into his fists. Every attack backstage, each time he came up short on the mic, the times when his plans had crumbled in his hands. Maybe if he had been thinking about how he’d been wronged less, he would have seen Roman coming. Jinder gave a shout as Roman yanked him to his feet and threw him out of the ring.

The Monster Among Men stumbled to his feet to catch a spear. Roman fell against his chest for the pin, but Braun rolled to his side with exhausted ease. Neither moved while they thought about what to do next. Braun hauled himself to his feet and snatched Roman out of the air. But his speed was weakened, so Roman was able to contort around his boy and bring him down for a roll up.

Jinder made it back into the ring and dropped his fists onto Roman’s spine, making him let go and arch. He curled up and did his best to protect his face and chest as Jinder continued with a kicking offense. He didn’t notice Braun had joined until there was a shout and once again the Maharaja was out of the way. Braun lugged Roman over his shoulder and slammed him down. Then again. And once more.

Roman’s vision was blurry. He couldn’t tell the difference between the ref’s second and third count, nor could he hear it until it was too late. He growled and rolled onto his stomach as Braun roared as the number one contender for the Universal.

Once more.

***

* * *

Kevin was nervous. That was an understatement, but he couldn’t find any other way to phrase it. He jumped as Dean’s guitar riff sounded, soon followed by the bell. Dean didn’t stop running, so Kevin rolled out towards the announce tables.

Dean paced inside. Jumped on his toes. If Kevin thought all this movement was going to tire him out before they could even get started, he was going to be sorely mistaken. And sore. All over. He backed into one corner and smoothed down the tape on his hands while Kevin inched into the ring. He stayed there when Kevin stood in the center and motioned him toward the middle.

“You wanted this match, Owens,” Dean said with a smirk. “You want the fight? Bring it here.” Dean hopped up to sit on the top turnbuckle and smiled. “Any day now.”

When Kevin did finally bring the fight, he did a good job of reminding Dean how long it had been since he’d had a good fight. He was surprisingly on the defense. Kevin had his recovery moves scouted, rendering them nearly useless. While he was shaking the ringing out of his ears after one attack, he missed Kevin disappearing. It was the crowd’s excitement that saved him from taking a steel chair to the back. Then he had Kevin on the run.

Owens didn’t notice Dean changed directions of the chase until he was in front of him. He collapsed under the chair attack. Groaning, he was rolling into the ring for a pin that failed. Dean growled and moved back out to hunt for anything under the ring.

Dean tilted his head to listen to the crowd. “We want tables!” they chanted. Dean turned his attention back to Kevin in the ring and grinned wickedly. He pulled out several and set them up around the ring.

Just in case.

With the last, he tugged it into the ring. It made a lovely addition to one corner. The legs that he pulled out made it sturdy as proven by the shadowboxing he did to an invisible Kevin pinned against it. He should have been worried about the real Kevin behind him. He was punched in the kidneys, then shoved to sit down in front of his own table.

Kevin cannonball rolled into Dean. As he stood he noticed the dent in the wood from Dean’s skull. If it worked once…. Kevin ran to roll again, but Dean moved at the last second. He crashed through. Faintly he recognized that he was being moved, kicking out when Dean tried to pin him.

“No. No!” Kevin crawled away, confusing Dean. “We’re done. Welcome back, Dean. Have a good night.” He tried to step through the ropes. He froze as he heard cheering and sighed. Turning to look back, Dean had bounced off the far ropes and was rapidly approaching faster than he could evade. He went flying and through one of the tables Dean had set up. Dean smiled and leaned on the ropes, tapping the side of his head.

How he hated that man.

Dean won the match. The Battle. The War. And he basked in the full welcome from everyone sitting in attendance.

***

* * *

Elias strummed. “I know you all came here to hear what you need.” He was forced to pause as the crowd cheered deafeningly. “But I know Seth is just going to interrupt; he’s so anxious to lose that title tonight. So I’ll have to be brief.” He took a deep breath and strummed again, playing a melody that hushed the audience for a few minutes. He glanced hesitantly towards the stage. “Seth Rollins is a fighter. A man with a plan. But he is no champion.” Elias smiled. “All those open challenges were just playing to the sorry lot of you and mean absolutely nothing. A real champion waits for the challenges to come to him. Let the rabble fight amongst themselves just for a chance to even look at it and laugh at them from the sidelines.”

Seth’s theme cut off anything Elias was going to say. He swung the Intercontinental Championship on the stage, then slung it over his shoulder before making his way down the ramp. Outside of the ring, he picked up a mic.

“No, no, no, no, no.” Seth shook his head and finished entering the ring. “If you keep talking like that, you’re gonna sound like a very specific person that nobody here likes.” He beamed as the crowd agreed with him, then brighter as he even got a nod from Elias. “Now, are you done talking? ‘Cause not everybody like the sound of your voice as much as you do.” When Elias didn’t move, he shoved him off the stool and kicked it out of the ring. They stood face to face, once Elias had made it back to his feet, and a ref and Jojo hurried into the ring.

Jojo did her thing, then the bell rang.

There was a reason why this was an extreme rules match.

Both men wanted to decimate the other. In a display that made everyone watching ooh, ahh, and cringe at a pain most could never understand, Seth defended his title. And Elias took as much out of him as he could. Chests were slapped until they were bright red and hands couldn’t feel. Chairs were broken over backs. And more announce tables collapsed under the assault.

Seth was doing well. So was Elias, but it was looking like Seth was going to retain. When Elias swung his guitar, Seth kicked him in the stomach. The guitar fell to the canvas, with Elias leaning heavily over it. Seth looked at Elias. Then the guitar. Then the crowd, who cheered him on to do what they hoped he would. He smiled and ran to bounce off the rope.

Finn Balor’s music interrupted.

Seth knew he should follow through. Elias had completely fallen over the instrument and was unmoving. Despite his screaming gut, the biggest threat was running down the ramp carrying a gold briefcase. He’d been on the giving end of such an exchange, and he wasn’t about to be on the receiving end. So he readied himself for Finn’s attack at the ropes.

Finn trotted to a stop. He stared up at Seth, looking for an entrance. He walked around the ring, occasionally bobbing and backtracking to keep Seth on edge. When he had made it back around to stage-side, he stopped and held the case above his head.

“Tempting. But I’m saving this for something even better.” Finn waved past Seth.

The Kingslayer turned just in time to catch Elias’s clothesline that sent him over the ropes. He fell at Finn’s feet, who laughed and hurried away in mock guilt.

Elias wasted no time dragging Seth back into the ring. With the distraction having thrown off the earlier rhythm, Seth was soon on Elias’s shoulders. He carried him over a few feet. Seth realized why when his back broke through wood and strings.

The shattered mass was shoved away, and the ref counted to three.

Elias grabbed the belt and held it high while standing over Seth, who hadn’t moved more than to roll onto his stomach. Already there were bright purple welts, and Elias was smiling ear to ear.

***

* * *

Monday Night Raw – July 16, 2018 – Buffalo, NY

The night began with an announcement from Kurt Angle. His brow was tense and his demeanor was heavy. The closer he trudged to the ring, the weaker his chants became. By the time he had stepped through the ropes, the crowd was silent. He took a breath.

“There’s no use sugar-coating it. Brock Lesnar will not be attending Summer Slam. The Result of last night’s number one contender’s match is null.” He sighed. Massaging the bridge of his nose, Kurt worked up enough energy to continue. “Lesnar claims that he does not have to fight Braun for the Universal because it had already been done. And as he points out, correctly, Lesnar retained against Braun Strowman.” He was stopped from saying more for a moment by the sounds of disapproval. “my hands are tied… for the moment. I will continue to do what I can, but as of right now, until there is a ‘better’ opponent for Lesnar there will be no match for the Universal Title.”

He left. Head bowed. Shoulders weighted. And his blood boiling for the injustice towards the wrestlers working under him.

***

* * *

Backstage, there was pandemonium.

Mojo flattened himself against a wall as Braun thundered by. Then he caught Mickie James as she was thrown into him from a hallway. Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan cackled on their way by. Sarah tossed a handful of a techie’s papers into Mojo’s face for good measure.

“Seriously?” He shook his head and steadied Mickie. “What’s their problem?”

Mickie scoffed. “Who knows. Doesn’t matter; Alexa’s got plans for them.”

“Really?” Mojo twisted around towards where the Riott Squad left, flinching as something crashed. When he turned back around, Mickie was attempting to hide a pout. “And where do you fit into that plan?”

“Well….” She huffed. “Unknown at the moment. But What Alexa wants, Alexa gets. And heaven help us if she doesn’t,” she muttered.

He nodded in agreement. His eyes scrunched as he looked at her more closely. She leaned back as he continued to stare. “If I had a plan for something… different… would you be interested?”

“Different?”

“Something that would bring you back into the main light. No Alexa required. No more… getting passed over in her shadow. Interested, if even just to hear me out?”

Mickie eyed him with disapproval. “Perhaps.” She chuckled as he held out his arm for her to take. She took it and they walked down the hallway.

Mojo nodded to Dolph and Drew as they passed.

***

* * *

In an attempt to cheer up the crowd, the first match of the night was Sasha and Ember’s number one contender’s match.

Sasha made no attempt to cover up her injuries from the night before. Her ribcage was bandaged, but her back, shoulders, arms and legs were all covered in variously colored welts of all sizes. And she was pissed. She half-did her entrance, careful around what hurt (everything) and waited impatiently for Ember.

The Goddess of War stayed on her side of the ring after entering. She could tell Sasha was hurt more than physically. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to be on the receiving end of some serious steam blowing.

On the other hand, the toll of Extreme Rules wasn’t just physical. It was emotional too. Ember found herself often pausing, rattled, when Sasha didn’t seem to be paying attention. When Sasha was participating, she was repeating movements from Sunday night like she could change the outcome if she tried harder. She couldn’t use chairs or her nails, but she could hit harder and faster. Ember found holes in her offense though. Her guard would be misplaced on one side. Or Sasha would be going for some dramatic hit that Ember could evade easily because she wasn’t exhausted.

The Eclipse that had helped them win team matches finished off this one. Ember was going to face Nia, and she wanted to do it as soon as possible.

Sasha rolled out of the ring and sat on the floor, holding her head.

“I’m not going to waste time. Nia, I am coming for you. And if you’re smart, you won’t waste time either.” Ember tried to catch her breath. She was almost relieved she didn’t have to when Nia walked out on the stage.

“I’m game,” she said with a smile. “How soon were you thinking?”

“Next week.”

“Deal.”

Ember watched Nia leave, then moved to leave too when Sasha got to her feet. She took the stairs, examining her on her way to the ramp. It was only for a split second, but Sasha leaped when she turned her back. Ember stepped aside, and Sasha crashed into the barricade. Ember walked out with her back to the stage, and her eyes on Sasha.

Everyone froze as Braun’s roar ripped through the air.

***

* * *

Roman and Dean laughed. They were sitting on crates in some back hallway, taping their wrists for their match with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre. In the background, they could hear the carnage.

You came to a skidding stop in front of them. “What is that?”

Dean avoided eye contact with his brother, who was shocked that Dean hadn’t explained more to you. “That’s Braun. It’s more normal than people think. Don’t worry about it.”

“He’ll blow over in a few minutes,” Roman added.

How could they just sit there? “What are you guys doing?” You huffed as they looked confused. “So. You guys have a different match later and that makes Braun not your problem?”

Dean nodded. “Pretty much.”

“But… you…. You guys were the Shield. Defenders against injustice. Braun terrorizing everybody is an injustice.” Your blood began to boil as Roman laughed.

“Things have changed a bit since then. Kurt can handle it.” He started to put on his gauntlets. Dean wasn’t worried about who could get hurt either as he started to do the bit between his fingers.

“If you’re not going to do something about it, I’m going to try.” You stormed off, not caring if they followed you or not.

In the garage, a group of security men was trying to block Braun from a semi-truck. They weren’t touching him, fearing for their arms if they did. He was caring for their protection anyways. If someone got close enough, he grabbed them by their shirt and belt and tossed them out of the way.

One came flying by you and nearly fell on top of an already distressed Kurt Angle. You looked towards the truck and saw that the driver was still inside. Without a second’s hesitation, you ran into the fray, using your smaller frame to get past security and Braun. You jumped up on the step and tugged the door open, allowing the driver to escape. Fuming, you slammed it shut and turned to Braun.

“That’s enough!”

Braun stopped more out of shock than anything else. That quickly passed and he growled. His hand moved towards you.

“You want to throw me across the garage? Try it. I’ll come up swingin’.” You stared him down as he paused again. “You are one of the biggest and most talented men around here and you do not get to act like a child. I may not have been around long, but I’ve heard the stories. Too many of them. Do you have any idea how long it takes to fix one of your tantrums? Do you?”

“No,” he mumbled.

“Hours. Not everyone can flip trucks, Braun. They have to wait for all the other trucks to be loaded and gone before they can call in a crane. That’s hours that people have to stay after an already long show away from sleep and possibly their families. Not to mention, you didn’t even see there was still a guy in this one. He could have been hurt. Not that it would have mattered to you, Monster Among Men. If you’re going to flip something, you better be prepared to stick around to fix it. And all of this because you’re not getting your way-“

“Brock-“

“I know. We all heard. But we also heard that Mr. Angle is going to do all he can. It may not turn out to be much, considering the powers that be. Not everything is up to him, even if he is the manager. And said management seems to have Brock’s back. That’s how it is. You can find something to do in the meantime. Any suggestions?”

He thought for a second. “Not really. Fought Roman, beat him. Fought Jinder, beat him.”

You sighed and turned to Kurt. “What about… Bobby Lashley? Didn’t he fight in something-“

“The MMA.”

“MMA. Fantastic. That’s a skillset that different than usual, if not closer to UFC style than what you’ve fought already. Is that possible Mr. Angle?”

He nodded. “We can make that happen.”

You turned back to Braun. “Will that satisfy you for now?”

“Yes.”

Kurt brightened up. “Great. I’ll let him know and get your match for tonight.” He nodded at you. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, sir.” You gave one last glare up at Braun, then left to finish up your show duties.

***

* * *

The match against Dolph and Drew was next while Kurt set up the new main event. Dean and Roman beat them easily, though the odd team-up was able to get in several good hits. The big shock was that Dolph kept whispering something to Dean during the match, making him more angry by the minute. Roman had to tag himself back in and finished Ziggler off before he could be rescued by the Scotsman.

“What was he saying?” Roman asked on their way out.

“Nothing I’m going to repeat.”

The original main event was bumped back. Seth was ready though. He was always ready when it came to his Intercontinental title. To watch him fight Elias, it was nearly impossible to see the fatigue from Sunday.

But Elias saw it. He knew where to look. The repeated blows to the small of Seth’s back, where he had crashed through the guitar, wore him down. He didn’t need the guitar tonight. The damage was already done. Elias won. But he was still a trembling mess by the end of it.

His blood chilled in his veins when Finn Balor’s music sounded.

Elias grabbed his belt and waited at the stage-side ropes. Finn came down similar as before, coming to stop to look up at Elias. The Drifter knew he was shaking, and knew the other man could see it. He wasn’t sure he would be able to hold off a rested Finn.

Finn shook his head and smiled. “Nah. T’is is your moment.” He gave Elias a shallow bow and headed towards the stage. Only to be stopped himself by the flames and wolf logo of Baron Corbin.

“You’ve had it pretty easy since Money in the Bank,” he said, circling Finn. “But this the WWE. Anything and every prestige is up for grabs. If you think you’re man enough, you’ll put the contract on the line next week. Then we’ll see whose ‘moment’ it really is.”

Finn stole the mic before he could say anything more. “You’re on.”

Baron grinned, haven gotten what he wanted. He sent a nod towards Elias in the ring and walked away.

***

* * *

Fighting Bobby Lashley was good practice. It wasn’t an easy match, and Lashley had an impressive strength to him that kept Braun guessing.

Kurt was ready in commentary before the match was even over. When Braun won, he made another announcement. This one was well received, especially by Braun.

“This is Monday Night Raw. For too long we have been stunted by those who have not put their best foot forward. You don’t have to be the best to show up every week, nor does a high consideration of self get you far here. That is why I am already announcing this promise. If Brock Lesnar does not show up to fight Braun at Summer Slam, then he will be forced to relinquish the Universal Title. If he retains, then he will have to follow the standards set up for champions and defend it at least once a month.”

This was really putting his job on the line, but finally getting this frustration out in the open was addicting.

“If the Universal cannot be pried from his hands, then it’s replacement shall be designed by the WWE Universe so it can represent them.” He sighed. “I don’t know a lot of the details here, but this will happen. I give you all my word.”


	11. What'cha Got?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn Balor and Baron Corbin square off to see who will really get to use the MitB contract, and Nia and Ember main event for the Raw Women’s Title. Dean finds out about the Reader’s secret and wants to see how important it is to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elias’s song is based on “Gollum’s Song,” because I don’t know enough classic rock to write off of yet. Things are getting exciting, and I am super jealous of Cincy this week. Please let me know if you have been liking this series. Kudos are a blessing, and comments are a gift.

Monday Night Raw – July 23, 2018 – Cincinnati, OH

“The salvation of WWE is here.” Elias strummed brightly and rightened his mic. “Last week I proved to Seth Rollins that when you walk with Elias…” he paused as the audience echoed him. “See, you all get it. When you walk with Elias, champions are shown to be flukes, and the unworthy are surpassed.” There were boos at that statement, and ‘burn it down’ chants that withered away.

Elias shifted on the stool. “I have a song that is more for me than the undeserving lot of you, but you need to hear it anyway. It will show you the way. The way I have found and the way that you need to travel so that you can reach the heights of accomplishments. Not as high as me, but as high as your miserable lives can reach.” He ignored the unsatisfied sounds of his crowd and began his song.

“Where once was night, now hope is come. Where once was wrong, truth has won. Seth say goodbye. We saw how did you try. Those tears you cry, are falling rain. For all the lies you told them, the hurt and blame. And you will weep, again so alone. You have lost, now the title is home. Here in the end, I’ll be what I will be. The true champion that you could never reach. Now I’ll say goodbye, and raise _my_ title high.”

Elias stood, braced his guitar on his thigh, and held the Intercontinental Championship above his head. The reception to his song was mixed. Not that he cared. For once, he had gotten to sing a full song, and he had reached his goal.

* * *

From the titantron, Kurt Angle made the announcement that everybody had been waiting for.

“I have been working all week with Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon. An agreement has been made. Brock Lesnar will be defending his title at Summer Slam against Braun Strowman.” He paused with a smile as the crowd approved. “Furthermore, if he attempts to back out of this appearance again, he will immediately be stripped of his title. Because that’s how we do it here on Monday Night Raw from here and moving forward.”

* * *

Once Elias was gone, Baron Corbin and Finn Balor made their way down to the ring. JoJo announced that the match was for the Money in the Bank contract. Whoever won the match would win control of it and could use it for any championship title. Baron smirked, sure that he had his second chance in hand even before the bell rang. Finn smiled back, even as he handed over the briefcase to the ref.

Baron made the first attack. He used his height and slight strength advantage to keep Finn off his feet. With the Balor Club leader unable to even stand, he couldn’t use his rope skills to gain the upper hand. He was able to throw Baron out of the ring for a second, but the lone wolf came around the ring post and slid back into the ring for a clothesline. Baron focused on Finn’s legs and knees from there. He flourished his attacks with chokeslams.

But his customary gloating was his downfall.

Finn contorted out of the Deep Six that would have finished him and dropped Baron’s head to the canvas. He gained the upper hand at last. While Baron was quick himself, Finn was faster. Snappier. And his lithe frame made him harder to catch when he was on a roll. He bent Baron in half with a blow to the stomach, then sent him down with a dropkick. Finn grinned at the audience when they realized Baron had landed perfectly in front of the corner.

Coup de gras. One. Two. Three.

The ref handed Finn the briefcase. While his back was turned, Baron made it to his feet and ran at him. His blow didn’t hit his intended target. Instead of Finn’ kidneys, Baron’s fist collided with the briefcase as Finn spun.

Balor left the ring with a dark smile, leaving Baron scowling and clutching his hand.

* * *

You were late.

Finn had just walked around the far corner and out of sight. You waited patiently, knowing Baron would be along soon, if a bit angry. Nothing you hadn’t dealt with before. He came out and groaned when he saw you.

“Mr. Corbin,” you trotted to keep up with his retreating form. “Can I-“

“No. You can’t.”

With a huff, you tried again. “Please, Mr. Corbin-“

“What is it with you calling everybody Mr. and Ms.?” He stalked over to you, making you take a few steps back. “No. The match didn’t go as I wanted.” He took another step closer. “Yes, I still have issue with Finn Balor.” You bumped into something and stumbled to brace yourself. “And, no. I do not want to answer any of your annoying questions.”

“Corbin.”

You peeked around and saw Dean standing a couple yards away. Baron chuckled.

“Here to rescue your cousin?” He stepped to one side so you could move to stand with Dean. “What happened, Y/N? Couldn’t find a chair to stand on this time so you called back-up?”

“Watch your mouth, Corbin.” Seth and Roman emerged from the shadows on his other side. They stared him down as he realized just how outnumbered he was. He left with a huff.

Letting out your breath, you turned to Dean and crossed your arms. “Was it chance, or have you been keeping tabs on me? Since when does the Shield swoop in to save interviewers?” He moved to say something, then pointed at his brothers to do the talking. Roman took the bait.

“There’s usually at least one of us keeping an eye on you.” Before you could argue, “you’ve been making waves since you got here.”

“But that’s what the training has been for,” you groaned, “right?”

“Training?” Dean whipped back and forth between you. “What training?”

You cleared your throat. “Well… Seth offered. Then Roman. And technically some of the Smackdown crew offered first.

Dean was hovering between fuming and irritated calm, settling for bouncing his leg. “Oh? And who would that be?”

You thought back. “Well, Charlotte offered. Then Naomi. Jeff Hardy, Becky… Sheamus-“

“Sheamus!”

“Yeah,” you squeaked. “He’s been really helpful and doesn’t take it easy on me like a lot of them do.”

Seth cut in, “have you beaten him yet?”

“No, but I’m close.” You turned back to Dean. “So, I’m covered. Really. You guys don’t have to… do… this. Whatever it is.”

Shaking his head, Dean disagreed. “We’re not going to stop being your shadow until I see this for myself.”

Was he-? “So… you want to see me wrestle?” All of you seemed shocked, including Dean once it registered. “Could… could I wrestle you? I mean, that would be the best way for you to see what I know.” You trailed off, again holding your breath. This was crazy. Twenty years no contact, then being reunited only to fight one another within a few weeks? There was no way he was-

“Well… we are in Cincinnati. Every town loves a homegrown star. You got gear?” He smiled as you eagerly nodded. “I’ll go talk to Kurt. You change out. If you really want to do this.”

“Yeah.” You gave his shoulder a playful nudge. “Just promise you won’t take it easy on me, or get angry when I hit you good.”

“Gear first. Smack talk later.” He shoved you gently to get moving down the hallway. Seth offered to help you find padding while Roman stayed with Dean. “So, she’s been training with you for how long?”

“Oh, a couple months on top of some free kickboxing classes she got in college. Should have told you, sorry about that.” Roman placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder. “And Uce… she moves like you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. All on her own. Unprompted. Freaked Seth and I both out the first time. It’s going to be a great match.”

Dean chuckled. “We gotta convince Kurt first.”

* * *

Kurt didn’t need convincing at all. He gave you guys the last spot before the main event between Nia and Ember.

Seth and Roman were going to stay backstage. They didn’t want to over-direct your movements in the ring, though they were humorously averse to not being able to mess with Dean. Seth promised to keep a list of things to work on.

Per your request, you had music to enter with too. Dean went first, basking in the homecoming and bouncing his way down to the ring. Your music started with a similar guitar riff that changed and dropped into a melody. It was one of your favorite songs with the words removed.

Entering the arena as a competitor, even if it was against Dean, was something you were never going to forget. The roar of it all filled your ears like an energizing static. And it was Cincinnati. They knew you were family. There was so much love. You hoped that you were going to be able to uphold their expectations, and the expectations of everyone who had helped you get this far. You wondered if your parents were watching.

The bell rang.

Despite what he was going to say later, Dean was taking it easy on you. And despite part of you screaming that was unfair, you were glad he was. Sparing with your friends/trainers was one thing. Wrestling with several thousand pairs of eyes watching? It was terrifying. It had been all love a few minutes ago, but now they wanted to see the Lunatic Fringe and if you had any of that in you too.

“Come on, Y/N. What’cha got?” he taunted playfully. Right before you swept his legs out from under him and moved for your first pin.

Mostly you were avoiding getting hit. At one point you ducked under Dean’s clothesline and ended up sitting on a top turnbuckle. When Dean finally found you, you gave him a cheeky smile and a finger-wiggling wave that made him beam. It was also your position for the move you’d been working on. Dean headed in your direction, but you spun off the ropes and swung your fist like Roman showed you. You were able to give most of it to Dean, though he turned a little and was able to get back to his feet.

“What the hell was that?” he asked, holding his jaw.

“A… um… tornado punch?” You shrugged.

He nodded. “I like it.”

After that, it was mostly showing off. He got you a few times, though you had to admit Sheamus hit you much harder. You impressed him by getting out of a Dirty Deeds and nearly dropping him in one of your own. He circled the ring with you following his steps. Your cheeks were probably going to be more sore than the rest of you with all the gleeful smiling you couldn’t control. And he didn’t take advantage when you were distracted by the first chanting of your name.

But others did.

Dean gave a shout as a forearm came from the corner of your eye. You saw him go down at the same time as you. The ref was yelling for your attackers to get out of the ring. The match was ended, but the assault continued. Hands wove their way into your hair and lifted you to your feet. Mojo Rawley had a hold of Dean and Mickie James had a hold of you. They hit you both in the stomach, bowing you in half, before making their escape back the way they came.

From your kneeling positions, you looked at each other with equal confusion.

“What the hell was that?” you asked.

“Welcome to WWE,” Dean quipped. He helped you to your feet and gave you a pat on the back. “You’ve been taught good. I’m impressed.”

The pain in your stomach was overwritten with pride. A pride that continued to swell when the crowd starting cheering again. You two left, nudging and bumping each other up the ramp like you used to do when Dean would pick you up from school.

* * *

Nia Jax and Ember Moon were unbothered by the actions of Mickie. If anything, there was one less woman to worry about since her attention was split.

It was a mix of styles from two powerful women. Ember was fast, but Nia had dealt with that before. She easily caught Ember a number of times, throwing her over her shoulder for Samoan drops, bench presses, and gravity drops. Ember had survived just as much before. While it was unfortunate to get snatched off her feet so easily, she also knew where and when to hit Nia to cut her down the most.

Nia was impressed. Few women actively engaged in matches with her. In an honorable way that is. Ember was obviously not following in the footsteps of the opponents before her who would run away or attack from behind. She looked Nia in the eye and gave as much she got. Nia appreciated it. What she didn’t appreciate was how Ember was beating her. The speed, though waning, was proving to be formidable.

Ember got Nia in position for the Eclipse. She was seconds away from her first main roster title, but that was seconds to many. Nia turned and caught her leap, then threw her to the match before performing a leg drop that finished the match.

The ref handed Nia back her title, who held it overhead while he lifted her hand and Ember heaved in pain.

“You did good,” Nia said. “I was better.” She smiled and held the title in Ember’s face. “But I get the feeling this is going to be yours one day. Not any time soon,” she laughed, “but we’ll fight again.”

Ember accepted the hand Nia offered. “I look forward to it.”


	12. Nothing Has Changed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tournaments are set up for the Women’s title and for the Intercontinental. Neither are going to be easy on their opponents, and both have Kurt Angle at the end of his rope. The Reader wants Dean to let her speak for herself.

Monday Night Raw – July 30, 2018 – Miami, FL

Corey, Coach, and Cole welcomed the home viewers to the show and began with reviewing the addition of the all-women pay-per-view: Evolution. October was still a long way off, but Kurt Angle wanted to get the show started with a match he hoped would show off the included talent. It was a tag-match between Mickie James paired with Sasha Banks against the team of Bayley and Alicia Fox.

It started well enough. Mickie was still riding off the high of her attack on you and Dean with Mojo. She and Alicia fought hard. They had participated in the earlier days of the women’s division and were soon going to have the chance to outshine their former matches. So they showed off. It didn’t matter if Sasha or Bayley switched in, the veterans were ready to introduce new move-sets that couldn’t wait for October. They were having the time of their lives. But the inevitable was bound to happen.

First, it was just screaming. Sasha would shout at Bayley from across the ring, and Bayley would ignore her a first. When Bayley was in the ring, Sasha’s statements were more in her face. Alicia had to shout loudly to keep her partner focused. When Sasha was in the ring, for one thing, Bayley would make sure she tagged out, and secondly, she pretended not to notice how rough Sasha was being.

Mickie tagged herself in when Sasha started ignoring the ref. “You’re gonna cost us the match.” Sasha tried to fight it, but Mickie took a stumbling Alicia from her. “Can you focus on the match and not your personal issues for ten minutes?” But a few minutes later, there was no choice but to tag Sasha back in. And Alicia had to tag Bayley too.

There wasn’t a pause, a stare down, or circling. The women immediately leapt at each other. Whatever had taken place at Extreme Rules was not the end. Sasha was still furious, and Bayley was more than willing to bring about the same outcome. But Sasha got the upper hand. The ref counted to five and could have counted to ten with Bayley’s legs stuck in the ropes and Sasha kicking her into the turnbuckles. The ref couldn’t get them apart, even when Bayley shook herself loose. Mickie and Alicia rushed in, but the women turned on their partners and fought them off so they could fight each other.

A few at a time, more women from backstage came out to split up the fight. Some branched off to handle their own business. By the time Kurt Angle came out, Nia had Sasha in one hand and Bayley in the other.

“What is this?” Kurt sighed and ran his hand over his head. “An amazing announcement was made last week that united you, and here you all are at each other’s throats. This was supposed to be a… and I had another announcement but I’m changing that one now.” That froze anyone who wasn’t paying attention before. “Summer Slam still needs a contender to face Nia for the Raw Women’s Championship. You can still fight tooth and nail, but this… anarchy and disregarding the ref’s calls is going to stop. Instead of a singles tournament, next week we are going to have a tag tournament. From the last tag team standing, those two women will battle it out to become the number one contender.” Kurt gave a huff, then left the stage.

* * *

Backstage, alliances were made fast. You snagged Natalya and Rhonda as they came back from the ring.

“What do you two make of having to fight towards the contender’s match together?’

The women shared a look, then Rhonda spoke first. “I’m not going to mind. If there’s anybody I want to face right before I try again at Nia, it’s Natalya. By getting to team with her, I’m ensuring that match can happen. If she wants to be my team-“

Natalya scoffed and broke in. “Of course I want to tag with you.”

They nudged shoulders while you asked your next question. “But do you see any possible issues once you have that match? You are sparring buddies, you train together, and now you’re going to tag together. Is that relationship going to be threatened at all by who wants the title more?” Rhonda was about to answer, but her attention was stolen by someone else. You turned and saw Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan standing behind you. So you had to think quick. “Do either of you see any future issues fighting for the same opportunity… assuming you are teaming together?” You offered them the mic.

Liv giggled and looked at Sarah. Sarah took your mic, looked at it, then tossed it across the hall. They left in a flurry of laughter that left the three of you confused and on edge.

* * *

Seth Rollins had a match with Mojo next. During the week they had shot tweets and videos at each other since Seth couldn’t let Mojo get away with his attack last week. Mojo shot back several up-front comments about his ability to watch Dean’s back, especially when he was looking to hit it with a chair. Or J and Jay. Or his head with a cinderblock. Mojo punctuated all his points with a gif of evidence.

By the time the match rolled around, Seth was done with putting up with Mojo. He attacked quickly, but Mojo was ready for the outburst. If anything, he was expecting it. Any of the usual quick, powerful moves Seth started with, Mojo had a reversal. Not to mention Mojo was tall, broad, and used to taking hits. He laughed each time Seth bounced off his chest.

He didn’t have to do anything. In his mind, Seth was going to tire himself out doing all the moves worthy of a cruiserweight with heavyweight flair, then he would tear him down. But when he tried to do the second part of the plan, it was too early. Seth still had plenty of energy, and he too could take a lot of hits. Drops. Collisions. Anything that Mojo threw at him. This was annoying to the point were Mojo wasn’t going for skill or ego-grounding, he was going for Seth’s knees. The first time, Seth took the hit and wrote it off. The second one made him step back with surprise. He set his shoulders back and prepared for war. Mojo grinned, then surged forward again. It wasn’t enough. Even with the definition of personal attacks, Seth stepped around them and fought back. Mojo was losing.

Seth set up for a frog splash. Mojo was motionless in the middle of the ring. The ref stopped waving his arms for Seth to get down, knowing it wasn’t going to work. Then everyone heard the record scratch. Distracted, the ref didn’t see Seth’s foot getting pulled from the top rope, sending him toppling into the ring.

Drew McIntyre called for Mojo to wake up. He did and crawled into position in time to hold Seth tighter than he could fight out of.

Mojo hurried up the ramp and out of the arena with Drew and a gloating Dolph Ziggler.

* * *

You hurried backstage, trying to get to your spot before Dolph and Drew would come out of Gorilla. Instead, you ran right into them as Mojo split away. Dolph saw you and waved for Drew to leave too.

“Hey, beautiful. And how are you on this fine evening?”

“I was great ‘til just now. Bye.” You tried to move past him, but he joined you on your way down the hall.

“Is there a particular reason why you refuse to talk to me? A stunning woman such as yourself shouldn’t be threatened by looks even as good as mine.”

You growled and turned to him. “No, couldn’t be threatened by that… or the lack thereof. Or how you keep interfering with my cousin’s matches. His brothers’ matches. How you sneak up on me during interviews like some thirsty vampire. No. Not a threat at all.” You clawed the air in the general direction of his face. “You are so incredibly stupid, Dolph. You repulse me. So go away, and leave me alone.”

Dolph threw an arm around your shoulder before you could get away. “I’m sorry, Y/N. Allow me to make it up to you?”

“Hey!” Dean yanked Dolph away from you and pinned him to the wall. “Can’t take a hint, buddy?”

“Dean, I’ve got this.” You tried to get between them and were only slightly successful. It had the unfortunate positioning for you to be pressed against Dolph’s chest.

“Awe, protecting me, sweetheart? I appre-“

“Zip it, Ziggler. Don’t you have interference to run with McIntyre?” He frowned but left. “And you,” you said, turning to Dean. “Why did you get involved?”

Dean frowned in confusion. “You wanted him to leave and he wasn’t listening. So I was going to make him leave.”

“He left because of me just fine a second ago.” You rolled your eyes with a huff.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” Dean sputtered. “You haven’t rolled your eyes at me in over twenty years!”

“I am very much aware; it’s not like I’ve had a chance to.”

“I know. And I am still sorry for that.”

You sighed and flexed your jaw. “You know I don’t blame you for that. It’s just… I’m not five years old anymore. I am fully capable of defending myself, by myself.”

“I know. But you don’t have to do that anymore!”

For a second you just looked at each other.

“For not seeing each other for so long, nothing’s really changed has it?” you asked. “Still fighting, but now I know bigger words to battle with. And I don’t have to stand on furniture to do it.”

“Yeah.” Dean chuckled and shuffled on his feet. “Y/N…”

“I’ve gotta go do my job.” You walked away, leaving Dean standing alone with words unsaid. Your team was waiting for you with Bayley and Alicia. “Sorry I’m late.” You took the mic and dived right in. “So have you figured out who your tag teammates are going to be?”

Bayley smiled. “Nothing official, but things are looking good. And I haven’t fought Foxy in a while. Well… except for just now. No hard feelings I hope.” She smiled and accepted Alicia’s hug, then grabbed her suitcase to leave. Alicia shook her head and shifted her focus to Sasha as she stepped out of the shadows.

“Oh yes,” Sasha hummed. “Very promising. Right, Foxy?”

Alicia giggled. “Of course, hun.” She winked loudly.

You pointed towards the garage. “But what about-“

“Don’t worry about her.” Sasha left arm and arm with Alicia. You shook your head and cleared the air with your hands. Tonight was too much, and you wanted nothing else to do with it.

* * *

A few matches later, it was getting close to the still undecided main event. Kurt Angle had been running around trying to control things. He had barely seen the inside of his office for all the hustle and was probably not going to see it for the rest of the show. At the moment he was trying to hide by some stage crates so he could answer some emails. Elias interrupted him again, wanting to know who he was going to fight at Summer Slam for the Intercontinental Championship.

“I don’t know. And to be honest, I really don’t care.” He ran his hand down his face. “I don’t mean that. Just… how about a good ole fashioned tournament? That seems to be working here of late.”

Elias nodded in agreement. “’Tis the season.”

“Fantastic,” he said unenthusiastically. “I’ll add it to next week’s events.” Kurt typed away at his phone and went in search of a new hiding spot.

Turning, Elias found he couldn’t step forward due to a large Braun-sized obstruction. He took a deep breath and stepped way back. “Are you going to be participating in the tournament?”

“No.”

He nodded and combed his fingers through his beard. “That’s… interesting to hear. I don’t know whether to be upset that we don’t get to try our skills against one another or-“ Elias faded out. There was no way in cold hell that was going to openly admit to being thankful not to have to fight Braun.

“I don’t have time to deal with you. I’ve got Finn to look out for. I don’t like that he hasn’t used it for your title. Brock is mine at Summer Slam, title or no title. But when I win the Universal, I want to hang onto it for a while. If he tries to cash in his contract on me, I’m going to be ready for him.” Braun pushed Elias into the crates and stomped away.

Elias was counting his lucky stars when he heard a laughing from above. Looking up, he could just make out the form of Finn Balor sitting in the shadows. His red gear seemed to glow in the dim light. The briefcase sat close by his side.

“Are you busy tonight?” Finn asked, leaning forward into the light.

“Not really, no.”

Finn smirked. “How about a match? You and me. And no,” he said as Elias opened his mouth, “not for the Intercontinental Championship. As enticing as it might be to have two titles by the end of Summer Slam, I want to dedicate all my energy to the one I’ve been chasing the longest. But that leaves in a bit of dilemma until then.” He jumped off the crates and landed in front of Elias. “How can I use my contract to the fullest if I’m out of shape? No, we both need practice for the big events ahead. Why not tonight?”

The Drifter’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He didn’t like the way Finn was grinning at him. “I could go for that.”

Finn smiled brightly. “Good. I’ll tell Kurt.”

* * *

There was something sinister about the way Finn was moving around in the ring. Elias couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was unsettling. The more he tried not to think about it, the more worried he became of a loss this close to his title match. If Finn lost, everybody knew he would bounce back. If he lost, the wolves would be circling soon.

Finn was borderline playful in the ring. Toying with Elias like a cat with a ball of string. Or a spider with a fly. He would take hits well enough and in a long enough succession for Elias to think he had the upper hand, then his legs would be swept from underneath. Or Finn would come flying out of the air and Elias would find himself staring at the ceiling. Finn kept throwing off his rhythm.

In the end, there was nothing Elias could do. The Coup de Gras descended from the top rope like an angel of death. Elias’s title match had just gotten a thousand times harder.

On the other hand, Finn was beaming and ready for a change in the wind.


	13. Not This Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tournaments for the Raw Women’s Championship and the Intercontinental get underway with the first brackets being fought. Y/N gets sucked further into the chaotic world and takes her own steps to ensure her own protection.

Monday Night Raw – August 6, 2018 – Jacksonville FL

In an attempt to make up for last week’s fiasco, Kurt Angle scheduled the first of the number one contender’s tag matches first. The second one would be later that night closer to the end of the show. Rhonda Rousey and Natalya Hart were ecstatic to be fighting the two members of the Riot Squad. Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan were glad to be fighting their opponents too. They had enough of Sasha and Bayley’s troubles and knew that if they wanted a shot, Rhonda and Natalya were the way to go. The other two women were convinced this was going to be an easy fight.

The Riott Squad used Rhonda’s inexperience and distracted her. Natalya was repeatedly left without an escape tag. There was a smidgen of a tiff in the corner once Rhonda returned to her spot on the apron.

“You can’t leave me like that.” Natalya gestured in the general direction of the other corner. “Keep an eye on your back, but don’t engage. The only thing that matters is what happens inside the ring.”

Rhonda grumbled her understanding and tagged into the match. She did what Natalya said, watching her back and not engaging whichever Riott member was trying to cause trouble. In return, Natalya ran offense on the outside of the ring. It wasn’t a foolproof plan, but it worked better than Rhonda trying to chase down either of their opponents.

It was beginning to look like that wasn’t going to be enough. Liv and Sarah were quick taggers when they were squirmy enough to get away. It ensured that one was always fresh when against a wore-out Natalya or Rhonda. Their insistent laughter annoyed everyone. Even the referee cringed. But they liked to congratulate each other after each hit that sent the women to the canvas.

Natalya and Rhonda shared a look. Natalya crept off the apron and circled around to behind Liv, who was standing on the apron. Rhonda pretended to take the bait, drawing her into the ring as Sara inched up behind her. Rhonda dropped to the mat when Liv attacked, leaving plenty of room for Natalya to spring through the ropes like a cat and send Liv sailing through the other side. Sarah watched it unfold, stunned. She wasn’t aware she was even being pinned until the ref got to three.

The winning team let their wrists be raised and hugged in the center of the ring.

* * *

The second match of the night was the first tournament match for the Intercontinental Championship. Bobby Roode and Apollo Creed squared off after a handshake. Titus and Dana Brooke stayed on the floor in Apollo’s corner, cheering him on. As soon as the bell rang, Dana kept a close eye on both competitors and kept detailed notes throughout the match.

It was incredibly even. Roode was more of an ‘I’m going to knock you off your feet’ guy, while Apollo filled in the match with his acrobatic flips. Several times, they nodded at each other, slapping palms together in quick handshakes between attacks. When Apollo would take a hard fall, he scrambled back towards his corner where Titus would shout words of encouragement, and Dana would share what she noticed.

What none of them anticipated, was Bobby changing how he fought depending on what Dana said. If she noticed he started to favor a limb, he would turn his body and fight with his other side to protect it until it hurt less. The speed and agility were worthless if Bobby simply stepped out of the way, taking Dana’s miss-transferred advice to save his energy. He caught Apollo in a Glorious DDT and won his way into the next bracket.

* * *

You took a deep breath and turned to Heath Slater and Rhino as the red light began to flash on the camera. “Mr. Slater, what are you expecting from your match tonight with Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel? They were so close to the tag team titles. If you beat them in this match do you see a chance for the titles in the near future?”

“That would be great, yeah. It’s been a while since we’ve wrestled, and I’ve got kids to feed.”

“And I’ve got myself to feed,” Rhino added. Heath chuckled and let himself be nudged.

With a smile, you tilted the mic back to yourself. “And what would you do as champions? Frequent defenders or watching the rabble fight for a chance at them?”

Rhino whistled. “I like you. Um, probably,” he looked over to Heath, “probably a little of both. Maybe like with what they’re doing with the women’s title? Have a member-“

“Yeah, from each team be part of a team so four can compete at once. Then the winning team all members fight one another for the contender’s spot. You are brilliant!” Heath slapped Rhino on the back. Hard. It didn’t seem to faze him. “Things would happen a lot quicker that way, so defenses would be frequent. But-“

“There would be so many combinations to ensure continuous rabble matches,” you finished. “You guys might want to submit that to Mr. Angle.” You froze as you heard a smug puff of a laugh.

“Yeah, if they win tonight.” Dolph Ziggler swaggered up behind you. “And tonight isn’t for anything.” He blocked your attempt to move past him. When you turned back around to leave with Heath and Rhino, they had been replaced with Drew McIntyre.

You swallowed, your mouth suddenly dry. “This hallway sure got crowded. Why are you here?” You wiped your hands on your dress jeans.

Dolph ran his thumb over his bottom lip. “We’ve got a match tonight against your cousin and one of his ‘brothers’, but we’d hate for you to have to watch the destruction alone. So Mojo and Mickie James are going to keep you company.” As he said their names, the other wrestlers stepped into view, completely surrounding you with no way out.

Muttering under your breath, “the one week they actually let me walk around by myself, something like this happens.” You glared at Dolph. “And if I say no?” You shuddered as Drew let his hand land heavily on your shoulder. “Ah. Well then.” You took a deep breath and hesitant look around.

Then you tried for a sprint.

Mojo caught you around your waist. He hoisted you over his shoulder and carried you off down the hallway while you kicked and screamed for him to put you down.

* * *

In the ring, Dean was pacing in front of Roman and Seth. He grabbed hold of the ropes on the Titantron side and gave it a wild shake before stomping towards the down front corner for a mic. By the time he had it, Dolph’s record scratch had sounded. Dean started talking as Dolph and Drew walked out onto the stage.

“You really have a death wish if you’re trying something like that Ziggler. Y/N has nothing to do with your issue with any of us, so you go back there and tell your new sidekick to let her go. Now. Then he’s going to join you out here so I can kick his ass too.”

Dolph wagged his finger. “That’s not how this is going to work, Ambrose. You can either let her watch this match, or you can fight us and Mojo… later tonight.” He grinned triumphantly while Dean growled and increased his pacing. Roman and Seth stepped closer to him in case he decided to charge. Dolph handed the mic to Drew.

“He’s gotta ‘ave time to warm up. You’d hate for ‘im to ‘ave an injury. You know bet’er than anyone how havin’ ta sit at ‘ome can drive a man crazy.”

Dean leapt for the ropes; Roman and Seth caught him just in time. Roman was able to maneuver in front of him while Seth kept him back.

Roman took control of the mic. “Then we’ll see you later tonight. But leave Y/N alone, or nothing on this earth is going to save you.”

Dolph gave a mock bow and followed Drew off the stage. In the ring, Dean was moments away from ripping his hair out while his brothers did their best to calm him down enough to strategize.

* * *

There were still other matches that needed to happen. The other chance for the Intercontinental Championship was between Baron Corbin and No Way Jose.

Thanks to his matches with Dean earlier in the year, Jose was more ready for Baron. He knew when to be quick, and when to hold his ground. And when to watch the bottom corner of the ring for Baron’s slingshot if he was tossed out. Inside or outside of the ring, Jose did his best to keep up. With the proper timing, there was even enough space to dance and mock the lone wolf.

Baron was not easily rattled. Whenever Jose would get a move over him, Baron would shrug it off and keep moving. At opportune times during the match, he would catch Jose in a headlock or chokehold to slow him down. He also took that time to say anything he could to discourage his opponent. He would let him get away for a little while, then stop him in his tracks again, using up most of Jose’s energy.

A chance clothesline that led into a Deep Six ended the match, ensuring that Baron was going to face Bobby Roode for the number one contender’s spot.

* * *

The last pre-set fight of the night was the second women’s tournament bracket. Bayley came out to her music and made her way down to the ring. She was confused when it wasn’t Alicia Fox’s music that followed, but Sasha’s. The Boss did her entrance with a smug grin. She stood in the opposite corner of the ring and waited for her partner to show up.

Alicia Fox finally made her way into the arena. But she stayed on stage. Like she was waiting for someone.

Alexa Bliss was that someone.

She and Alicia hugged each other’s hips like old friends on their way down the ramp. The watched the frantic war between Bayley and Sasha was great amusement. Alexa teased them with her usual crying motions. “Did you really think that anyone was going to want to team with either of you with all your issues? And the irony! You two now have to team together, or you don’t get a shot at the Raw Women’s title!” She gasped and covered her mouth; Alicia mirrored her before stepping out so the bell could ring.

The other two women couldn’t stop arguing about who should fight first. Alexa sighed and grabbed Bayley by the hair to pull her into the center of the ring. Sasha took the message and moved out, scowling at Alicia from her post. She didn’t flinch when Alexa bounced Bayley’s head off the canvas like a basketball. She did look away when she was dragged to the corner and stomped on by the other women as they rapidly tagged each other in between five counts. When she’d had enough of watching, Sasha waiting for the ref to be preoccupied with the team and ran over to grab Bayley by the ankles. She dragged her to their corner and tagged herself in.

It didn’t go much better for her. Alicia toyed with her anger of betrayal, never turning her back, and eventually keeping Sasha away from her corner. The crowd gasped when Sasha went flying through the ropes and crashed on the outside. The assault continued with head smashes to the apron from Alexa, and then barricade tosses once Alicia got past the ref.

There were brief moments when Bayley and Sasha had the upper hand, but they were cut short by the women arguing over the best way to win the match. They were pinned at the same time, meaning that Alicia and Alexa were going to face Rhonda and Natalya next week for the championship match at Summer Slam.

When Charlie interviewed the victors after their match, she asked Alicia why she teamed with Alicia. Alexa answered for her.

“I would have been teamed with Mickie, but she’s ‘busy’ at the moment with a little side thing. And I saw Foxy caught in that tug-of-war between Sasha and Bayley and offered a way out. You’ve got to agree that she made the right choice considering that we won.”

Alicia shrugged. “I could have won with any of you. What sealed the deal-“

“What sealed the deal was knowing the great match we’re going to have in two weeks.” Alexa beamed and linked their arms together. “Baddest woman alive or not, Rhonda and Natalya aren’t going to know what hit them.”

* * *

You’d heard them searching for you. Each time you heard Dean’s frantic voice you wanted to call out, but doing so would have opened him up for an ambush. When it was time to go to the ring, you could barely see where you were going due to the wall of wrestlers around you. You did your best to peek over them on the stage, seeing the Shield ready in the ring. Mojo joined the odd team to the ring while Mickie led you over to the commentary table and sat you in a center seat.

“Um, welcome to commentary,” Michael Cole said. “Is… is she allowed to… talk, Mickie?”

Mickie made sure your headset mic was in place and then fixed hers. “Of course. I’m just here to make sure she doesn’t get hurt by trying to get involved. But you’re not going to try anything, right, sweetie?”

“I don’t know. If you guys keep pushing my buttons I can’t guarantee I won’t.” You leaned back in your chair as the match started.

Everyone was involved. Roman was locked with Drew, Seth was kneeing Dolph in the stomach, and Dean was raining blows down on Mojo as fast as his arms could rotate. The make-shift group was the first to give up the ring. They stood in solidarity while the other men caught their breath on the floor.

Corey tried to inspire conversation. “Mickie, we saw a little of why you joined the group. To get away from Alexa for a bit. Do you think you’re going to regret giving up your title chance for joining this… for lack of a better term: revenge crew?”

Mickie scoffed. “Maybe in the beginning it was about Alexa and me. But I have always known that I was never going to get a title shot with her. She’s too controlling of her fate and the fate of anyone around her who could get in the way. No.” She loudly patted your leg. “What it’s about now is helping out a new sister in the business.”

You squeaked and covered your eyes as the opposing trio used the Shield’s ring entrance against them. They were able to knock Seth and Roman out onto the floor but had to team up to kick out Dean.

“You okay there, Y/N?” Coachman asked.

“Yeah.” You sighed. “Honestly… I’m always like this when I’m watching a match. For anybody. You have to remember, this is kind of new for me.” You flinched again as the ref was finally able to gain some control, just in time for Seth to get a Scottish boot to the face. “And Mickie, I don’t want your help. Thanks to Dana’s notes I know you’re a legend. But The thing with Dolph is something I’m not interested in.”

“And why not? You can see he’s a good wrestler.” Her point was punctuated by Dolph avoiding one of Roman’s Superman punches.

“When a woman says no, it shouldn’t be the beginning of a negotiation.” The male commentators wisely stayed silent on the topic, instead calling the tags as Mojo and Dean rotated in. You wanted to leave it at that and focus on watching Dean, but Mickie kept pressing.

“Why didn’t you even give him a chance? He hasn’t done anything to hurt you.”

You took a deep breath. “Except inspire you and Mojo to attack me and my cousin, kidnap me, and all in all refuse to accept my no. Why should I have to give a random dude a chance when I’m not attracted to him? If it had been the other way around I would have been called desperate and a stalker. I have every right to say no to him. I hope the guys beat the crap out of him. It’s nice to have guys watching my back instead of my backside for a change.” Your headset fell to the floor with a clatter as you stood up.

In the ring, the match had descended into a brawl. And the Shield was losing, even though they won the disqualification. 

Mickie grabbed hold of your arm and tried to pull you back into your seat. “You don’t want to go down there, honey. Trust me.”

“Actually Mickie… you saying that really makes me want to go down there.”

Your mind was made up when Dolph twisted Dean’s recently healed elbow around his arm, making Dean cry out. It was a good thing you were wearing pants because the world would have seen everything with how you fell over Mickie’s legs while escaping the booth. She caught up with you more towards the middle of the stage. But you were ready for her. Turning quickly, you grabbed her hair and slammed her down onto the stage. With a little bit of effort, you were able to get her enough to her feet to throw her into the dark void that was the back stairs for the stage. Mickie having been dealt with, you rushed towards the ring.

Dean spun around, spotting you hallway down the ramp. He yelled to Roman, “get her out of here!” Roman hesitated, then quickly left with a nod, leaving Dean alone in the ring as Dolph and Mojo rolled in and began to circle him. Drew continued throwing Seth’s spine into the barricades.

Roman caught you around the waist. He struggled to drag you away.

“Dean! Roman, put me down! We can’t just leave him out here alone. Put me down. I’ll stay put if you’ll go help him. Roman!” Your cries and pleas fell on seemingly deaf ears. The ring was getting further away. Your vision tunneled to Dean with his arms trapped behind him by Mojo so Dolph could cut at his chest mercilessly. You shook your head, not believing that there was nothing you could do. Roman faltered as your knees buckled, making you dead weight. Roman shifted is grip so he could carry you away, but you took the split second of freedom to drop him into a jawbreaker. He fell back onto the ramp, holding his jaw.

You sprinted down the ramp and rolled into the ring.

Mojo saw you first, dropping Dean so Dolph could stomp on him. You pulled on the top rope and let your feet slide out from under you. Mojo went over the ropes, his shout of surprise alerting Dolph to your presence in the ring. But it was too late for him to do anything. You grabbed him by the hair and spun him around so you wrap your arm around his the back of his neck. Dean grinned from the mat as you used Dirty Deeds. He continued holding his loopy smile as you pushed and dragged him out of the ring. Damn, he was heavy.

Roman met you on the ramp and supported Dean on his other side. Seth sent Drew’s shoulder into a ring post and hurried to catch up. The four of you walked backward, keeping your eyes on the three of them until you were backstage.

Dean’s smile evaporated. “What were you thinking?” He sat on a crate, fuming. “You should have stayed with Roman. They could have hurt you.”

“They were hurting you.”

“I can take it. It’s my job. I’ve been outnumbered before.”

You sat down next to him. “I know. I remember. Cincinnati. The day they took me away. I was trapped in the city car. You were outnumbered by a cop and his partner. I couldn’t stop calling your name. You heard me; tried to run after me. But… the cops… they caught you and the fight broke out. The last image I had of you was you on your stomach getting handcuffed. Because of me.” You shook your head, heart racing. “Not this time. Not when I could do something about it. Not this time,” you broke off.

Dean sighed. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder, failing to hide a wince, and kissed the top of your head. “Thank you.” He looked up at Roman and nodded at him. Seth slumped against the wall with a tired huff.

“And I’m sorry about your jaw.” You grinned sheepishly up at Roman, your dimples shining. Dean puffed and smiled too. He nudged your shoulder.

Roman groaned. “And I thought it was bad when there was just one Ambrose to keep up with.”

“We may be headed for trouble,” Seth groaned, “but I can’t say that we can argue with the results.”


	14. This Isn't Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last Raw before Summer Slam, you are included in the main event. Final opponents are determined for the other matches but you feel out of place. Will you let Dean and everybody down or work past your fears?

Monday Night Raw – August 13, 2018 – Greensboro, NC

If you were a begging type of woman, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre would not have started the show. Your nerves were on fire as you saw them walk into Gorilla, cringing when you heard Dolph’s music. In the ring, he pranced around as if the audience’s reaction to him was unanimous praise.

“Well hello to you to.” He grinned wide, ignoring the waves of hate rolling towards him. “We’re out here to announce that there’s a special match tonight. Drew, if you would.”

“You’re havin’ a Lumberjack match tanight,” Drew rumbled.

“That I am. Against Dean Ambrose. And there to catch him when I toss him out is going to be you, Mojo, and Mickie James. And of course Roman, Seth, and Y/N backing up Dean. But they won’t be able to much. Now, if Y/N could step out here please.”

You were more than happy to. If he wanted to have a battle of wits, he was going to realize quickly how unarmed he was. Seth followed you out, to rushed to zip up his gear shirt. “What do you want Ziggler?”

He laughed. “No need to be so formal, sweetheart. Dolph is just fine.”

“Get to the point. Ziggler.”

Biting back a scowl he cleared his throat. “I wanted to let you know it’s okay. At some point, your cousin is going to knock me out of the ring. You’re frustrated and angry. I won’t hold it against you if you hit me.”

As if reading from a hokey script, Drew asked “but I thought you liked Y/N. Why all this?”

Dolph turned to him and talked with his hands as if to a child. “You see, the key to winning a girl’s heart is playing hard to get.”

You scoffed. “That would be difficult for you then since you’re hard to want.” This was getting old. The match could start right now for all you cared.

Seth read your mind. He crossed his arm across your shoulders, keeping you from storming down the ramp. Dolph noticed. “Gettin’ a little close there, Rollins. Y/N, you could do so much better. He’s no Dolph Ziggler.”

You looked down at Seth’s abs, then back at the ring. “Good. It means he’s not freakin’ orange.” Seth coughed and turned to face behind you. He cackled quietly. “And I hope you’re ready for some serious bruising. This is going to end tonight.” You turned on your heel.

“Whatever you say, Y/N. But all tonight is going to prove is that I am the best man in the business. And nothing the Shield can do is going to disprove that.”

* * *

The women’s music sounding told Dolph his time was up. They each took turns bumping shoulders against them as they left the arena. Rhonda nearly knocked Dolph off his feet, making him growl and make a hastier exit. Alexa Bliss and Alicia Fox stood on one side of the ring while Natalya and Rhonda stood on the other. They may have won their opportunity as a team, but tonight eventually it was going to be every woman for herself.

Renee Young explained how the match was going to work. “The match is going to start as a tag match. To eliminate a team, one member has to be knocked to the floor over the top rope. Then from the remaining two women, a singles match will begin immediately.”

Corey snorted. “I can’t say I agree with this method.”

“I’m looking forward to see how it goes,” Renee pipped up. Nothing Corey was going to say was going to dampen her Raw commentary debut.

Alexa rolled out, leaving Alicia at the other’s two women’s mercy. Which they gave. Sharing a look, each of the three rolled a different way out of the ring, circling Alexa. While she was focused on not getting caught by Natalya or Rhonda, she bumped into Alicia. They shared sticky sweet smiles, then Alicia tossed her partner into the ring at the sound of the bell.

Natalya fought her first. She made frequent tags to Rhonda, ensuring they would both have enough energy for part two of the fight. If they made it that far. Alexa escaped and put that plan in jeopardy as Alicia rushed in, quickly weakening Natalya and trapping her in the ring. Rhonda rushed around to the side as Alicia tried to tip her partner over.

She was successful but crashed to the floor herself when Alexa knocked her feet out from under her. They continued to fight on the outside. Inside the ring, Alicia was gaining the upper hand. Once again, Natalya had no one to tag and had to muscle through and do her best. Exhausted, she fell against the ropes. Alicia scooped up under her, attempting for a pin.

But it wasn’t that kind of match yet.

“No. Eliminate her,” Alexa screamed, “don’t pin her!”

“Oh yeah.” Alicia grabbed Natalya’s hair and slung her towards the ropes. Rhonda was there to make sure she didn’t sail over. She guided Natalya to the corner and tagged in, rushing towards Alicia. Foxy turned and reached for Alexa, who wasn’t there. Alexa hopped down, hoping Rhonda would tire out her partner. It backfired as Rhonda swung Alicia over her back and threw her over the top rope. Alicia fell on top of Alexa and they were announced to be eliminated.

Rhonda waited for Natalya to catch her breath. It wasn’t ideal. In a perfect world, they would both have more energy and could put on a better match. Natalya stood tall. This would have to do. For how much they had trained together, Rhonda picked up on her tells. Mixed with Natalya’s lack of momentum, she didn’t last much longer.

Even then, Rhonda hesitated to pin her friend. “I’m sorry,” she said as the ref counted to three. She helped Natalya to her feet.

“It’s okay, for now,” Natalya joked. “But you better kick ass on Sunday.” She helped the ref raise her hand in victory.

* * *

Kurt Angle held his phone far away from his ear with a wince. “Braun. Braun! I know, but it was best that you stayed away from the show tonight.” He paused and tromboned the phone as Braun reacted. “Because there are a lot of people who don’t want you to beat Brock on Sunday, and that’s not just him an Paul Heyman. I didn’t want you risking your Summer Slam match.” Gritting his teeth, he talked over his employee. “Look, you can yell at me Sunday night. After your match. If nothing goes awry. Okay? Good. See you Sunday.” He hung up with a sigh then saw you. “Hey, Y/N. Please come in.”

This couldn’t be good. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Angle?”

“Just Kurt. And yeah. I need your opinion on something.” He waited for you to step further into the room. “If I’m wrong I do have a back-up, so please be honest with your answer.”

You gulped. “Okay.”

“Y/N, do you think tonight’s match is going to end the problems with Dolph?”

“Honestly,” you said slowly, “no. From what I’ve learned about him, Dolph is going to keep going until the injuries to his body outweigh any gain he’s been scrambling for. Even if Dean gets him to that point, Mojo and Mickie are involved now too. They’ve got their own issues with us now.”

Kurt thought for a second. “There’s one more slot for Summer Slam.”

How? “Isn’t it a little late to be making matches? Summer Slam is on Sunday.”

He nodded. “I know. But I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be over before then. So, you and the Shield will have a match on Sunday against Dolph and Drew, and Mojo and Micke James.”

You sighed. “This is all my fault. I didn’t mean to be such a bother.”

“Hey,” Kurt gave your shoulder a light pat. “It’s how we settle things around here. If anything, you fit right in. You are not a ‘bother’ and we are lucky to have you on the team. You’ve just started and you’re putting more effort into your contract than some old timers.”

“That doesn’t matter. I don’t have the experience.” You groaned. “I’m not Dean. No matter how much effort I put into the match tonight or Sunday, I am going to burn out quickly.”

“Don’t worry about tonight or Sunday. You’ve got this.” His phone rang again. He walked away to answer it, despite your attempt to grab his attention. With a worried huff, your left his office.

“Are you ready for the match?” Seth’s voice behind you made you cringe. “I’ll take that as a no.” He jutted his chin in the direction that Kurt went. “So, I heard the tail-end of that. You get to be part of a Summer Slam match too, huh?”

“This is a disaster.” You slumped to sit on a crate. “I came here to be a reporter. And to reconnect with Dean, in a way. Everything has gone wrong. This is way more than what I can handle.”

“No, it’s not. I’ve seen you train. I’ve been beaten by you in training. Which, not to toot my own horn, is saying something,” he chuckled. When you didn’t cheer up he sighed and tilted your head up. He gave you a small smile. “Y/N?”

“I don’t want to let him down. Or any of you.”

“You won’t. I trust you.”

It was a tiny statement. But it meant the world. You couldn’t find the words to thank him but nodded. Seth grabbed your wrists and gave them the once over.

“Let’s get you some tape.”

* * *

Corey was grumbling even before Elias could strum his first chord. His stool was set up a few feet from the announce table on the stage. He sang an upbeat ditty about hating the town and his disdain for the opponents squabbling for his title, then left the spotlight.

“Front row seats to an Elias concert. Man, you guys really do get the good stuff,” Renee cooed. She elbowed Corey before he could retort.

Elias dipped his head. “I’m glad to see at least one person has accepted the enlightenment my music brings.” He glared at Corey and made small talk with Cole as Baron Corbin and Bobby Roode made their way down to the ring. He was unbothered by the idea of this match. If anything, he was excited to see who was going to face him at Summer Slam. It was the perfect opportunity to scope out his adversary.

Corbin and Roode circled each other looking for a way in. Eventually, they had to meet in a contest of strength. Corbin used his height to his advantage and caught Roode in a headlock. Neither wrestler was one known for their gravity-defying stunts, but Corbin was going to do everything he could to keep Roode from using his strength. It worked. For a while.

Using the crowd’s enthusiasm, Roode was able to make it to his feet. He bounced off the ropes and sent Corbin’s back crashing to the canvas. He didn’t fall for Corbin’s tricks. If Baron swung around a ring post, he was waiting for him. The Deep Six was hard to kick out of, but he did. Roode danced his way across the ring. If things continued his way, he was going to Summer Slam with a chance at the Intercontinental Championship. Roode kicked Corbin in the stomach and stepped back to power up for the Glorious DDT.

He took to long. Corbin reversed Roode’s movements into another Deep Six. When Roode stumbled up from that, he walked into an End of Days. His music was cut short by Elias playing his guitar.

Elias gave him a slight bow, then strummed his way out of the arena.

* * *

They were waiting for you in the ring. Roman and Seth went out first. Then Dean. He stayed close to the curtains, having promised you a surprise. You were still trying to work up the courage to go out there when a second guitar riff sounded. It was underlined with an electric guitar and strong drums.

“Surprise,” he smiled.

You had your own entrance music.

It was bold and had a great beat. Dean wiggled along with it on the way to the ring; you poorly stifled a giggle.

Dolph was left standing alone as his accompanying trio left the ring. Dean rolled and you took your spot on the ramp-side of the ring. After the bell rang, you bounced up and down like you usually did when watching matches from backstage. Being out in the arena? It was electric. Now you knew why Dean bounced and jumped through his matches. Mickie was glaring at you from the other side of the ring but that didn’t bother you. You had ringside access to one of Dean’s matches. This was wild.

Dean got tossed out first. Thankfully, Dolph’s aim was off and he sailed right into the arms of Roman. He received hair ruffling and loud pats on the back and then they sent him back in. His arms flailed, striking Dolph about every other rotation. You laughed as Drew and Mojo watched Dolph take the beating with uncomfortable grimaces. By keeping an eye on them, you saw the plan they formulated before Mickie could distract the ref. She jumped up onto the apron, pulling Dean’s attention away from Dolph. They tried to grab at his ankles, but even their long arms couldn’t reach him and a crisis was averted.

When Dean tossed Dolph over a rope, he made sure Roman was there to catch him too. You made sure there wasn’t inference from the left and Seth did the same for the right. You could tell the men weren’t scared of you. There was another plan in place. One that was for later as Dolph staggered his way back to his feet. The match went on, with Dean maintaining the upper hand. Drew and Mojo traded sides with Mickie.

You were distracted by Drew inching his way to Seth’s side when Dolph came flying over the ropes. He landed on you, smirking when he realized what his position was. With a growl, you flipped him to his back and started to punch at his face as hard and fast as you could. You were yanked to your feet by your hair. Mickie slammed your face into the apron. You fell back, dazed. Roman picked you up around your stomach, shouting at everyone to back off.

“Ow,” you mumbled, holding your head while Dolph slid back into the ring.

“Better get used to that, sweetie,” Mickie said, backing away.

There were several other altercations. Mojo did surprisingly well against Roman, while Seth used the barricades or apron to gain some height on Drew. Dolph continuously underestimated you and received similar treatment as to the first incident. No matter what you did, Mickie could always make you crumple like a ball of tinfoil. She could do the same to Dean, too. It took the three of you a few minutes to realize how much damage she was dishing out, then another few to break away from them to come to his aid.

Then there was the chair.

Mojo tossed it in while the ref’s back was turned. Dean was leaning against the ropes. He moved out of the way at the last second. Dolph’s swing bounced back at him off the top rope, sending the chair into his forehead and his body to the mat. The ref saw the whole thing and wouldn’t motion for a disqualification since it was self-inflicted. Dolph cursed and threw the chair away. It cut into Dean’s stomach, folding him in half.

You slid into the ring as the ref called for the disqualification. Dean waved off your worried looks and questions while the other team left. He coughed hard, holding his stomach.

“This isn’t over,” you hissed. “Far from it. They wanted the fight. They’ve got one.”

“That’s my baby cuz.” Dean grinned as you stuck your tongue out at him.


	15. Hold It High (Summer Slam)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The PPV has arrived, and titles are destined to change hands. It’s just a matter of which ones. Then on Monday night, there’s the fallout. Threats are made and alliances are put to the test.

Summer Slam – August 19, 2018 – Brooklyn, NY

The wrestling highlight of the summer started on a high note. Elias was in position, his Intercontinental Championship on his waist, and his commissioned matching guitar on his knee. He didn’t fill the air with petty words. Not that he would have been heard over the insistent ‘Walk With Elias’ chants that made his chest swell with pride.

“I can feel you startin’ to get it. No longer the lost, no longer the same, and I can see you starting to ascend. I’ll keep you alive, I’ll show you the way, forever and ever. Here is your sign to anyone not from Brooklyn.” The crowd quickly turned on him, but he was finished. Nothing more to give to ‘the city pictured next to the definition of a waste of space.’

The stage screens shifted as Baron Corbin’s music began to play. Brooklyn didn’t like him much better, but at the moment they held him higher than Elias. Techies quickly took Elias’s things away so the two men could circle one another. Jojo announced the championship match and the bell rang.

Elias made the first move. As many times as he could, he knocked Baron to the canvas. Six feet versus six-eight wasn’t the worst thing, but Elias was not going to allow any benefits. He kept his opponent constantly on the defense. Occasionally, Baron would separate himself enough to catch his breath. Elias would knock it right back out of him with stomach kicks and choke holds.

His body bounced under the ropes, then Baron swung around the ring post, coming up behind a winded and unsuspecting Elias. Baron knocked him to his knees. He continued to return the favor of his earlier beating. In this round, Baron had to ensure Elias couldn’t pick up any speed or grab hold of him and cripple him with his strength. He picked Elias up for a deep six, but he spun out and turned the maneuver into a DDT in his favor.

The upper hand had shifted again. From there, it was too difficult to see who maintained it. Each man was a fantastic athlete, and each was willing to do anything to leave the ring with the white and gold. Baron was stranded on top of a corner, giving Elias the chance to jump up and flip him over onto his back. Elias wobbled to his feet and Baron hopped on his back, attempting to take him down with a chokehold. Elias backed him up to another corner, forcing Baron to step high and into Elias’s trap. Baron’s legs got caught over Elias’s shoulders just before he was flipped around and finished with a halo powerbomb.

The Intercontinental Champion had successfully defended his title once again.

***

The match for the Raw Women’s Championship was next in line for the red brand. Nia Jax entered the arena alone, proud and strong as ever. Rhonda Rousey entered with Natalya Hart, who gave her one last hug for luck before leaving to watch the match from backstage. Both looked at the belt as the ref raised it high, both wide-eyed as if dreaming a trip to the moon for the first time.

Having fought before, the women were acquainted with the other’s usual first steps. Rhonda knew better than to try for another arm-bar. Nia knew better than to get to close too soon.

“Have I put enough work in, yet?” Rhonda asked.

Nia smiled and readied her stance. “We’ll know by the end of the match.”

Rhonda did much better this time around. She was patient. She never had her back to Nia. And she waited for Nia’s weaknesses to show before making her move. Nia was impressed. Rhonda continued to evade her advances and step ahead of her plans. The match was adding up towards a cerebral battle as much as a physical one.

And it was frustrating.

The match ended when Rhonda fell back into her old habits. The habits that never worked on Nia. As a result, Nia retained her belt. She held the red and white belt up high while Rhonda slapped at the canvas. She refused Nia’s hand and stood by herself, fuming.

“So close,” Nia said, unbothered by Rhonda’s glare. “You’ve been putting in the work, and it shows. But tonight, it still wasn’t enough.”

***

You were nervous. Scratch that. You were terrified. All the training, the working out, the rage that had burned through you, none of it felt real until this moment. Roman and Seth were already on the stage staring down the crew in the ring. Dean was by your side, bouncing.

“Do you want to go out to your own music, or come out with me?” He slowed his movements to a hyper vibrating to wait for your answer.

“No. You got me music, and this is the only time I’m going to get to use it. So I’m going to use it.” You nodded once and hard. Hopefully, he couldn’t see how your hands were shaking. He left to his music, and you soon followed.

Anybody could hit anybody. You knew Mickie was going to use that as much as she could. As for you, it would be lucky if you could hold your own with anyone.

The rhythm started out quick. Seth and Mojo started the fight with no discussion. Both were quick, but Mojo’s football days came into play and he tossed Seth across the ring into your corner. Roman tagged in and tried his hand, successfully running Mojo out of the ring so Drew could rotate in. The rotations continued, and you hoped it would never end. Then Mickie tagged in. Although anyone could hit anyone, she motioned for you to participate. You gulped and let Dean tag you, then slowly made your way through the ropes.

Mickie grinned. Like a lioness toying with a field mouse. She rushed at you and you did your best to stay your ground. Still, her power lock forced you back into ropes. You yelped as she grabbed your hair and tossed you into the center of the ring.

Keep moving. Don’t stop. Can’t get caught. Dodge, dip, and roll.

Unbeknownst to you, Dolph sneaked into the ring behind the ref and behind you. Dean scurried in to help. He bounced off the ropes closest to you and flew into Dolph, knocking him to the floor. You and the ref were distracted as the other two took out Seth and Roman on the apron and engaged them in a quick bout that left your teammates unavailable for tagging. Mickie rushed you and pinned you in her corner while tagging Dolph. You spun out as quickly as you could, finding yourself like a lone island as Dolph sauntered into the ring and Mickie made sure Dean was down.

“Shall we, sweetheart?”

Oh, you were going to knock that smug look right off his face. And you would have if Seth hadn’t made it to the corner. Biting your lip and eyeing Dolph, you tagged him and shrugged. The match got back to normal with few interruptions. You even began to enjoy yourself. At one point you poked Dean in the side. “This buzz is what you feel every week? How do you not explode?” You alternated cheering on the guys and taking your turn eagerly as well as you could. The oncoming storm was inevitable, so part of you knew neither Drew, Mojo, or Mickie was going to pin you. It wasn’t their pin. And you were getting antsy to end it.

“Shall we? Ziggler?” You tripped Drew on his way by, causing him to fall in their corner. He rolled over to lean against the turnbuckles and lifted up his hand so Dolph could tag in. Your team was exhausted. His team was exhausted. You both were breathing heavily. If was going to be ever, it had to be now.

He’d been holding out. Dolph mixed his skill with every trick in the book.

And you had been trained by the Architect, the Big Dog, those Woken, and those just looking to kick lass with Flair. Schooled by the archivist and statistics manager of Titus World Wide. And above all else: you were a ‘come up swingin’ Ambrose.

Jumping off the middle rope, you spun in the air and punched Dolph in the chin as hard as you could. He fell like a log. For a split second, you were frozen. Waking up, you rolled over the top of him for the pin.

One. Two. Three.

The guys joined you in the ring. Your celebrating was interrupted by grumbling coming from the mat. You saw blonde wobble into view over Seth’s shoulder. They parted in front of you, giving you the space to superkick Dolph. You stepped to one side to feel the cheers of the crowd wash over you. The ring shivered as Dolph was triple power bombed. When you turned back around, the guys were holding their fists together over Dolph’s body.

Then they shared a look, and Roman nodded at you.

You looked between each of their faces, Dolph, and the fist bump. Anxiously you glanced at Dean who gave you a big grin and inched over. Curling your fingers together, you added your fist to the group. Your cheeks hurt from squelching the smile that threatened to erupt and your leg bounced with the excess excitement. But one more look up at Dean sent you flying. You felt yourself smiling but only registered the supreme bliss you felt.

The pose broke apart with Dean clapping his hand on your back. He chuckled when you wrapped your arms around his waist. You wouldn’t have let go any time soon except he began to muss up your hair.

“Dean! No- ahhh!” Dean lifted you into the air and threw you over the ropes to Roman, who caught you despite your scrambling to wrap your arms around his neck for stability. “Shit! Why?” Once back on the ground, you took a deep breath. “Damn, it’s like I’m five years old again.”

Seth laughed. “Like a cat.” Dean joined him on the floor.

“Hey, can’t blame me for flashbacks. What the hell, Dean?”

Dean shrugged and wrapped his arm over your shoulder once Roman put you down. “I’ve got you back. Now I’m never going to lose you again. I promise.”

***

The Braun Strowman versus Brock Lesnar match went as most people thought it would. Someone in the crowd even had a giant whiteboard with tally-marks for each suplex and F-5.

And Braun was pissed.

Everyone agreed it was rightfully so. He’d fought to this chance and now he was going to take each missed day as possible champion out of Lesnar’s hide. Those two moves were not going to be enough to hold back the monster among men this time. Lesnar’s pride and accolades couldn’t save him. Paul Heyman yelled and screamed from ringside, directing his client in ways that ended badly. The spokesperson held his head in his hands, already fearing the fallout. If Lesnar was going to go, he wasn’t going to go without completely decimating his opponent. Several times Braun was at risk of failing to answer to a ten count from outside the ring. And several more trying to get to his feet inside the ring. By the end, he couldn’t lift his boots higher than Lesnar’s knees, though that was enough considering Lensar’s exhaustion. A weak powerslam would have to do.

There was a second of silence as Braun held Lesnar down for the count of three. Then there was pandemonium.

Braun was kneeling and had the belt in his hands.

Then the stage pulsed with red light.

For a second time, the crowd erupted. Finn Balor raced down the ramp with his contract in hand. He passed it to the referee, slapping his hand against it. The ref passed it towards the techies and nodded for Jojo to make the announcement.

“Finn Balor is cashing in his Money in the Bank Contract.”

Finn ripped off his jacket, leaving him in his bright red shorts and hands that looked like they had been dipped in blood. A bright eye watched his back from between his shoulder blades.

Braun was gasping for breath and didn’t even have the energy to deny the ref ripping the Universal Title from his hands. He made it to his feet and took a deep breath. Turning, he ran right into Finn’s assault. The destructive patterns suggested that it was not fully Finn in the ring.

However he did it, Braun fell in front of a corner. Balor eyed the crowd with a wicked grin and raced to the top of the ring post. He Coup de Gras-ed the last of Braun’s oxygen out of his chest.

One. Two. Three.

Balor snatched the title and laughed. He showed it to each side of the ring. On the floor, Brock Lensar was laughing, his lip bleeding slightly. Braun wasn’t doing anything. Except trying to breathe again. Balor took this all in with the brightest smile on his face. He ran up the ramp to the stage.

With both functioning arms, Balor lifted the belt above his head. His at last, no matter the cost.

***

Monday Night Raw – August 20, 2018 – Brooklyn, NY

“Style and grace, I’m never gonna be done. Lean on in. Now Welcome to the Queendom.”

Stephanie McMahon walked down to the ring. ‘Walked’ was too delicate a word. It was something closer to stomping but veiled in having complete control. Her fingers tapped at her elbow where her arms were crossed. “Summer Slam was a hit.” She was not pleased, though the crowd agreed with her. “Titles were retained. And titles changed hands. Which brings us to the most pressing matter at hand. Mr. Angle. If you could come out here, please.”

He did. Hesitantly but with shoulders rolled back.

“Last night Brock Lesnar lost to Braun Strowman.” She was unable to continue for a minute as the crowd reacted. “-to Braun Strowman. Who then immediately lost it to Finn Balor. Mr. Angle, if could explain yourself, that would be greatly appreciated.”

Kurt was confused. “What do I need to explain? You just-“

“You need to explain why you demanded Brock Lesnar’s attendance that resulted in his loss of the Universal Title.”

“Because he is a champion. And as such he has specific obligations to the WWE Universe, such as defending it. There are rules as to how often that’s supposed to happen… but Brock hasn’t been made to stick to that by. Not as often as he should have. What happened yesterday was the inevitable.”

Stephanie chuckled. “Kurt, Kurt, that’s a big word for mistake.” She paced to the ropes and back. “Because of Finn Balor’s cash in of his contract, he cut out the possibility of Brock Lesnar’s rematch. And, as such, he would have to earn an opportunity-“

“Like every other wrestler.” Kurt chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be a sight. The Beast incarnate having to fight like a common employee of this company. Such a terrible thought,” he mocked.

She nodded with pursed lips. “And Brock Lesnar doesn’t have time for that. He has made his final arrangements with the UFC and will be competing with them in the future. We had hoped that he could be the first to be champion of both, but your leadership shortcomings have ruined that.”

This was sounding like a different announcement than what Kurt had assumed. “Stephanie, I have been very clear with my leadership. I think if you would explain what you’re saying it would be greatly appreciated.”

“Brock Lesnar will no longer be competing in the WWE.” Stephanie stood fuming until the ruckus was starting to die down. “You have cost the company a great asset, Kurt. You overstepped your bounds as manager and now your ability to continue in your position is… under scrutiny. More so than it was before.”

Kurt nodded and took a deep breath. “To be a manager is to constantly put the needs of the wrestlers before my own. The time and energy it takes to wrangle the conflicting egos alone is enough to lose sleep over. Often managers have to get involved in matches. Like your brother has repeatedly. Like you and your husband, Triple H, have done. Like I did with Rhonda Rousey in Wrestlemania this year. She’s not under your thumb and now Brock Lesnar is no longer in your control. My ‘ablity’ is only under scrutiny because you’re mad that you will actually have to put in an effort to do right by your wrestlers.” He turned and bent to step out of the ring.

“Don’t you want away from me. Can’t you hear what I’m saying? You are at a high risk of losing your job. If that happens I will be finding your replacement. You may not like who I chose, so I suggest you do better if you care about ‘doing right’ by our wrestlers so much. I know you know how to do your job. You did once. We’d all like to see it again.”

“What more can I do, Stephanie?” he yelled. Planting his feet and sighing, he continued more in control. “What more can we do? For now, we both have a lot of thinking to do.” He finally left the ring, unsure about several things.

***

Despite the stiff tension that had just left the ring, Elias was proud and ready to perform. He sat on his stool and smiled brightly at the crowd.

“Another concert. Another retained championship. No matter the tune, the song stays the same. After all, WWE stands for?” He laughed as they responded enthusiastically. “Yes. Even here in this cockroach ridden hole of a town called Brooklyn. And most of those are sitting in this arena.” Elias played his guitar over the sounds of an unhappy audience. He sang one song. And after he had received praise, he sang another. “Know that tonight you are blessed. For I have been given a whole hour to give you all the concert that you need to hear.” He was beginning to play a third when music from the stage interrupted him.

“No. No. No. These people don’t need your music if you can honestly call it that.” Curt Hawkins strutted down the ramp. “What they deserve to see is the end of my losing streak. And on top of that, my first WWE championship win.”

“Your what?”

Curt smiled and entered the ring. He pointed his baton at Elias. “You heard me. Jojo, if you would.” He walked past Elias and handed his baton and mic to a techie on the floor. By the time he turned around to shadowbox, the guitar was swinging towards his face. He fell like a stone that had a tree dropped on it.

“Do not interrupt me!” Elias stomped around and crashed his guitar into the canvas next to Curt’s head. “I wish people would stop interrupting me. Every week. Every week!” He gave one last irritated kick to Curt’s side and left the ring.

***

“Kurt, listen to me,” Kevin Owens huffed and tried to keep his manager’s attention. A manager who was signing some things on your clipboard and gritting his teeth in frustration. “The Shield is not your friend. I know you fought with them last year a bit. But they… they… they’re friends with Finn Balor. That guy that’s got your job on the line. Let me challenge him-”

“Kevin, I really don’t have time for this. Do you have a point?”

Before he could answer, Elias stormed into Kurt’s office. Kevin ducked as he swung the guitar around. “Kurt, if you don’t do something about people interrupting me-“

“Man, nobody cares about your music.” Kevin tried to step back into Kurt’s focus. “Now, Kurt-“

Elias turned Kevin around and raised his splintered guitar. “Owens, if you don’t get out of my way-“

“Hey!” You passed Kurt your clipboard and stepped between the two men. “You two are better men than this. I’ve never seen you act like it.” You shook your head and your hands and tried to clear the air. “Doesn’t matter. Kevin. Get out.” He stared you down until Elias growled. Then he left in a hurry, leaving you to pop back into reality of where you were standing. “Okay. Um. The problem at hand. Right.” You glanced at Kurt and shrugged. “What about a concert series?”

“What?” they chorused.

“A, um, a series? A tournament? Maybe before each match, you can sing about your opponents, or about the city, we’ll be in. Or just play. I know how the muse can be fickle when the environment is unfriendly.” You took a second to breathe. Why did your heart feel like it was going to fly out of your chest? “Then, Mr. Angle, that keeps several of the guys busy. It’ll be an opportunity for the Intercontinental Championship, so they’ll be happy. Elias, you’ll get to show off your musical skills and more of your ring prowess. And hopefully, that will be fewer people complaining back to you, Mr. Angle.”

You waited on baited breath as the men hummed in thought.

“I like this.” Elias stepped past you and gave Kurt a hard pat on the shoulder. “Make it so.” He turned to leave but snapped as if remembering something. “If you’re still around next week.”

Behind you, you heard a sigh of relief. “Thank you. You know, you’re really good with quick thinking.” He handed you back your clipboard with a smile.

***

Nia Jax stood in the ring, waiting to pummel her local talent for the evening. The woman’s name was a blip in her memory and barely lasted five minutes past the bell. After the three count, she took her title from the ref and a mic.

“Here’s how things are going to go,” she started. “I am Raw women’s champion. Nobody has succeeded in changing that, and nobody is going to any time soon. I am the top of the women’s division. I proved that at Summer Slam against Rhonda Rousey; I can prove it time and time again. Tonight-“

The opening beats of Alexa Bliss’s music cut through the arena. “Now hang on just a second.” She planted her feet on the stage and smirked at Nia. “Sure. You proved it ‘this time.’ But acting like you’re going to hold onto it forever. Psh. Honey, you are not that good. You’ve got the power and the strength and the ring awareness, I’ll give you that. But you are not a goddess.”

“Is that so?” Nia sucked her teeth. “You know, I’d rather be me than a goddess who screams and runs at the first sign of real power.”

Alexa glowered at the ring and at the audience agreeing with the champion. “I know when to lose the battle so I can win the war. Unlike your opponent last night. Rhonda’s been here learning the ropes, but not the field. You haven’t had real competition in-“

Rhonda’s music played next. Alexa scurried down to ringside while Nia groaned. “You got something to say, little miss Bliss? Then you can say it to my face. You may be the goddess of WWE, but I’ve got skills unique to me. Ones that could easily pin you. I know I’m new. I get that every time I get pinned for some stupid mistake.” She shifted her focus to Nia. “Ones that I won’t be making again.”

Shaking her finger, Alexa said, “Nu-uh. You lost to Nia again. You’ve got to go to the back of the line now. And let others more skilled and tested than you get their chance.” She rolled into the ring as Rhonda walked down the ramp. She avoided bumping into Nia then realized she was outnumbered.

She was saved by the peppy intro for the Riott Squad. The trio circled the ring, then Ruby stepped up onto the apron. “You know. I think I agree with Rousey. It is easy to pin Alexa.” She laughed. “All you gotta do is corner her and leave her with no place to run. But to take out Rhonda? Hit her in the ring awareness. No one was going to hop the octagon fence and attack from behind, but here? You’ve always got to have someone watching your back.” She smiled wickedly as Liv Morgan reached out and tugged on Rhonda’s ponytail from behind. “As for Nia? Well. Like we learned from Alexa: hit her in the heart.” The three of them hopped through the ropes and froze as more music hit.

Bayley came out. And was promptly interrupted by Sasha Banks. The second woman had just passed the first on the stage when Alicia’s music played. Then Mickie’s. The two new women linked arms and bumped their way past the two former best friends. 

“Enough!” Nia took her position back in the center of the ring. “If anybody had been listening, I was going to announce how any of you could earn a chance at this title.” She looked left and right to all the women who had joined her in the ring. “Next week, there is going to be a gauntlet match. I don’t care how you pick who the first two women will be, but the last woman standing will get a championship match at Hell in a Cell. We are the future, ladies. So let’s show the world what we are willing to give.”

She dropped the mic and left for the exit, carrying her belt high over her head.

***

You had to interview Kevin next. Apparently, some of his complainings had gotten through to Kurt because he wanted you to find out his plans for Hell in a Cell.

“Plans?” Kevin scoffed. “My plans are my own. And with management up in the air, I’m going to be making them myself. But enough about me.” He stole your mic and changed his stance as if announcing the weather. “We know a little about your history, but what about your thoughts on how Summer Slam went for you. How did you enjoy your first pay per view in-ring action?”

You sighed. “Well-“

“For someone as inexperienced as you, you did pretty well. But for someone who had all those legendary trainers and the like, you didn’t do as well as you could have.”

“At least I had a match at Summer Slam. Not bad, right?” You reached for your mic, but he held it past your reach.

“Honestly, I can’t blame you. Three of your teachers aren’t what they used to be. Rollins lost his spunk when he lost the Intercontinental to Elias. Roman has been running himself to death to please people who wouldn’t give him the time of day. And Dean…” Kevin barked a laugh. “Did Dean ever have his mind to begin with?”

You crossed your arms over your chest. “Right. Like you’ve never destroyed the one good thing in your career by stabbing it in the back. Oh wait, I read Dana’s notes. You’ve done that several times, haven’t you?”

Kevin’s knuckles turned white around the mic handle. He bared his teeth and stepped to you, then a large hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him back.

“Hey, Y/N. You okay?” Roman tightened his grip on Kevin’s shoulder. Dean swung around and plunked the mic from his hands to give it back to you. Seth took a position on Kevin’s other side.

“I’m good. Kevin was just telling me how much he liked our match yesterday.”

He ground his teeth. “No. I… your match a catastrophe. Chaos everywhere. And you,” he shoved a finger into your face, “you only got the pin with a lucky punch. If that had failed, these three wouldn’t have been able to help you. These shadows did nothing but suck you into trouble.”

Dean lowered Kevin’s hand out of your face. “And you’re talking yourself into trouble. Again.”

Kevin puffed, shrugging Roman’s grip off his shoulder. “Again? Not that the trouble was all that much before, right Ambrose? You’re to busy being happy about being back with your brothers that you can’t see the damage. None of you could give me enough trouble even to wind me. Not even the big dog himself.”

Oh, there was a thought.

“Hey, why not?” They all looked at you. “Mr. Owens, you were looking for a match tonight.” You smiled and motioned around. “Pick one. Mr. Angle signed that you could have a match. Said you could have someone in your corner too.”

Seth nodded. “Yeah. And the other two could be on commentary. Haven’t done that in a while,” he said to himself.

Kevin realized with a start that he was surrounded with no way to get out. His Adam apple bobbed. You watched bemused as the wheels in his head turned at full power. “Not that it matters,” he said. “Roman. Good a match as any.” He twisted and ducked to get away.

***

Down the hall, Kevin caught his breath. He stepped faster as he spotted some possible ring help. “You guys aren’t doing anything tonight, right?”

Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre were sitting on a crate discussing something on Dolph’s phone. Mojo was close by, lacing up his boots. He turned and walked the other way as Kevin approached. Dolph and Drew could not make as quick as an escape.

“Hold it right there.” Dolph stood. “We are not going out to the ring. Not with you.”

“Why not?”

Drew snickered. “Our plans are our own.” They laughed at Kevin’s desperate face and left to find a new scheming spot.

***

Seth and Dean had a lot of fun on commentary. Roman had fun in the ring. Kevin did not have fun. Even when he gained the upper hand for a minute or two, he was still working defense in an effort to catch up.

Kevin left the ring and took the loss by count-out. This was not the match he wanted. And he was not going to waste his energy on it any further.

The Shield was more than happy to mock him on his way out of the arena.

***

The mood of Braun Strowman was nothing like it had been on Sunday. The only thing more terrifying than a pacing monster was one who stood still and held an almost unblinking gaze.

“During Summer Slam, the earlier part of it, I was in control of my own fate.” Braun’s chest heaved with a steadying breath. “If I had failed to pin Brock Lesnar, it would have been because of my own lack of skill. But I didn’t. I won the Universal Championship with my own two hands. I held the title with these same hands and had the world at my feet. And then…” He growled and rolled his neck. “Then it was taken from me.” He turned to the stage. “Finn Balor, I want my rematch!”

The crow cheered, then cheered louder as Finn’s face showed up on the titantron.

He giggled. “I have to thank you, Braun. Because of how things went last night, I’m not the shortest reigning Universal Champion anymore. You are.” He stroked the title hanging over his shoulder.

“Why don’t you come down here so we can fix that?” Braun dropped his mic.

“Of course.” The screen flickered. Finn’s face was cast in red light and shadow before disappearing.

In the arena, red lights pulsed on the stage. The smoke rose and the music started. Balor emerged. Dreds and ribbons and blood-red hands crawled their way down to the ring with the Universal title around the waist of the demon king.

Braun backed into the lower corner. This wasn’t going to scare him. He’d once been a Wyatt.

It should have though.

Balor was unlike anything Braun had ever fought before. Where Finn was predictable due to his tried and tested methods, Balor was just as unpredictable. He moved differently. Hit differently. Spotted and took advantage of weaknesses differently. Braun did the best he could. But he hit a wall. Sunday’s match took its pound of flesh and left the mangled remains to Balor to play with. The Monster knew he was in trouble when the demon didn’t want to play; he wanted to retain his crown. Every aching muscle, every strained limb was a target.

One. Two. Three.

Balor crawled back to the stage with his prize. He stood and held it high. Reigning and defended.


	16. Bigger Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Kurt Angle’s job in the balance, the entire roster is on edge. The reader is able to keep her head in the middle of the chaos and helps where she can.

August 27, 2018 – Monday Night Raw – Toronto, Ontario

“I have to agree with management. The best and only way Monday Night Raw should open every week is with the spotlight focused on me.” Elias frowned at the dissenters and rewarded the faithful with an irritated strumming. “You can disagree all you like, it won’t change a thing. WWE will still stand for-“ he paused for the audience’s response, “and Toronto will still be the last place on earth where I’d want to make my announcement.”

Elias plucked at the strings waiting for the crowd’s anger to die down. When they didn’t, he sighed. “I can wait here all night until you shut your mouths. You are going to hear what I have to say. You need to hear it because it concerns the future of my Intercontinental Championship.” That seemed to quiet them down enough. “Better. Next week I am going to have a concert. In between my music, there will be tournament matches to determine the number one contender. I will face them at Hell in a Cell.”

The crowd liked that idea, cheering loudly. Elias grumbled. “I don’t know why your so peppy to see one of your favorites lose. And that’s if anyone steps up.” He turned in his stool and faced the stage. “The mic is open to anyone who thinks they could take this accolade from me.” The arena filled with a hush as they waited for anyone to show up.

As Chad Gable’s music started, Elias nodded. Gable posed at the top of the ramp and pointed at the ring. Or more accurately, the title around Elias’s waist.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Sunil Singh walked out onto the stage, “please welcome your former WWE champion, your former United States champion, and the future Intercontinental champion, the modern-day Maharaja, Jinder Mahal!” He stepped to one side, far away from Gable, and waited for Jinder to enter the arena. The wrestler stepped onto his red carpet made of light and then to the side, glaring at both Gable and Elias.

The stage’s screens were filled with static. Electric guitar was cut off and the arena filled with the cry of ‘burn it down!” Seth Rollins stepped onto the stage, then paused. His music ended and was quickly replaced by the guitar riff of Dean Ambrose. After Dean came out, they stood together in the middle of the stage and stared-down the men to their right and left.

“So be it.” Elias unhooked his title belt and raised it high, taunting his possible opponents.

***

Dean bumped into Roman backstage. “I have a plan, Uce.”

Roman’s eyebrows arched. “Oh, really. Should I be scared?” he kidded. He smiled as Dean lightly punched his shoulder.

“No. You don’t have a match planned for tonight yet, and I don’t want to wait till next week to do something. And my man No Way Jose hasn’t done anything in a while.”

Now Roman was confused. “Triple… threat?”

“No! You and Jose have a match, and I’ll referee.” He beamed, arms outspread as if presenting a golden goose. His brother’s expression suggested it was more like an egg. “Come on. You haven’t fought him yet. His style is different, he’s got better dance moves than me-“

“Nobody has better moves than you.”

“-and I haven’t gotten to oversee a match in a while. I bought the shirt and everything. Upgraded it too.” He tugged a black and white striped shirt out of his back pocket. Over the pocket, his logo had been stitched in. Messily. He wiggled it. When Roman sighed, he smiled even brighter in triumph.

“Alright. Let’s get this thing set up.” Roman rested his hand on the back of Dean’s neck after ruffling his hair while he could before Dean bounced away.

***

You were just about to start an interview with Chad Gable when there was the tell-tale roar of Braun Strowman. Many people turned and left the other way, including your interviewee. Not that you could blame him with an important match to have next week. You, on the other hand, could not keep your feet from running towards danger. You turned a corner and nearly tripped over the carnage that he was throwing around. “Braun! Braun! Please, stop.”

The monster stopped mid-throw. “Why?”

“Because if you don’t then we can’t help you.” You were shocked when Braun put down the trestle he was holding. You let out the breath you were holding. “That was quick, um. Okay. What do you want?”

“I want to smash Finn Balor’s face in.”

Were you expecting another answer? Not really. “Fair enough. Um, but nobody’s been able to find him. Which kinda means he’s not here tonight-“

“I’ve noticed.” He glared at the trestle and you interrupted his train of thought again.

“… so do you have a second option?”

He thought it over. “Samoa Joe’s gone. Fighting Jinder’s too easy, give or take a Singh.” When he stopped you hummed in agreement and motioned him to continue. “Roman’s here, but he’s already got a match tonight.”

If those were all his options, you would have to think of another. What about… “What about Seth Rollins? They’ve got a similar style and have both been champions. He’s had beef with Finn too. Ask him if he wants to have a little mutual practice. So, iron sharpens iron.”

Braun liked that idea. He smiled, which was a bit terrifying, and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.” He went off to find Seth, clapping your shoulder heavily on his way by. You gasped and rubbed it with a pitiful ‘ow.’

***

Roman was waiting in the ring when No Way Jose’s music came on. He laughed openly and loudly when he spotted Dean in his ref shirt at the end of the conga line. As they danced their way into the ring, he leaned and against the ropes and shook his head. This was either going to be brilliant or a catastrophe.

Dean had the men face each other. Neither seemed to care when he started into the boxing spiel. “Alright. I want a clean fight with clean breaks. Go to your corners and come out swingin’.” While they stepped back, he looked over past the announce table and circled his hand in the air. “Ring the bell.”

They didn’t really know where to start. Frustrated, Dean pointed at each man and then at the center of the ring. When all they would do was circle one another, he exaggerated his sigh and stopped Roman’s pacing. He stood shoulder to shoulder him and raised his fists then did the same with Jose. He bounced on his toes as they met in a headlock, pushing and spinning until Roman gained the upper grip and forced Jose back into the ropes. Jose dipped under them and waved Roman off. Dean came in and counted quickly to four. Roman squinted at him and backed off.

Tapping his wrist, Dean answered, “we gotta schedule to keep, Uce.”

The match continued with Roman and Jose doing their best to fall into a rhythm that would benefit them. Dean watched happily, calling counts and near-pin-falls as needed. At one point he was sitting on a turnbuckle and had to hop to the outside of the ring as Roman tossed Jose into the corner. He counted, slower and closer to real time, as Roman hit Jose with his forearm ten times.

Jose was quick. Which frustrated Roman to no end and delighted Dean. He was able to avoid spears and superman punches with cat-like ease. With each miss, he would jive to another part of the ring while Roman got more and more frustrated.

Roman’s frustration turned into victorious offense. He slowed Jose down and disorientated him enough to plant him with a spear. Dean made a fair three count, and proudly raised Roman’s hand in victory, celebrating and hugging him. Dean paused just long enough to shake Jose’s hand and thank him before joining his bother for the exit.

***

“Hey, Y/N.”

Seth’s voice made you look up from your notes. You smiled at him as he trotted up. “Hey.”

“Not to freak you out or anything, but is there a reason why you suggested me as a Finn stand-in for Braun?”

You froze. It took you a second to come up with an answer. “Honestly… I panicked. I mean, it’s Braun; he’s a bit imposing. And I’m not and super short. But the Summer Slam match made me feel not so helpless, and then I know you and Finn have fought since forever. So, it all jumbled together, and your name came up. I’m so sorry. Do you want me to tell Kurt he needs to find someone else?”

“No, I’ll talk to him.” He smiled to put you at ease, which you appreciated. “Don’t worry about it.” He dropped his hand on your shoulder with a thud and left. Your bad shoulder. That Braun had just bruised.

You frowned in Seth’s general exit direction. “Ow,” you grumbled, massaging your shoulder.

***

Nia handed her title to the ref for safekeeping and eyed her opponent for the night. It was a local woman with a name Nia didn’t really remember even though it had just been announced. Amelia? Celia? Either way, it didn’t matter. This was just to keep her in action while she waited for the division to work itself out.

The bell rang.

To her credit, the woman wasted no time to begin an assault. She had Nia on the defensive from the start and maintained it for a few minutes. Then Nia was able to catch the woman’s incoming hand. Nia grinned sweetly, almost as if apologizing. The woman shrieked as Nia used her hold to bounce her off the ropes into a clothesline. While she was catching her breath, Nia bounced as well and landed a leg drop.

A three-count and thirty seconds later, she had her title across her shoulder once again. And she was ready to see how the main event would unfold.

***

The pain in your shoulder had intensified enough that you were trying to rotate it out when Kurt walked up.

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?” you asked. With a snap, you connected the dots. “Braun. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed that slows people down around here, it’s making them think with their heads and not with their fists. Actions may speak louder than words, but sometimes things get lost in translation. I take it there’s a Seth Rollins versus Braun Strowman match tonight?

He was impressed. “Yeah. And Seth agreed to it. Something about how ‘iron sharpens iron?’” He grinned as you shrugged. “Well it worked, so thank you.”

“No problem. Glad to help.”

Kurt turned to leave but gave you his attention for a split second more. “If I haven’t said it before, we appreciate you joining the team. You’re doing a great job.” You flinched as his hand clapped down on your shoulder. Hissing, you rubbed the sore spot harder than before.

***

Seth versus Braun went differently than everyone was expecting. There wasn’t a major goal for Seth, but he was still giving his all. Braun was being just as brutal as usual. Seth was quick and it was giving Braun trouble but that wasn’t the issue.

Braun was calm.

He didn’t give in to frustration or gloating. If anything, it was making him more dangerous to fight because Seth couldn’t read him. Which made Seth have to step up. Which in a normal match would have driven Braun to distraction. He maintained his controlled pace. Catching Seth. Grounding him. Letting the crowd use up all the excess energy that would feed his powerful rage.

The calm snapped when the red heartbeat took over the arena.

Finn, or was it Balor, showed up on the Titantron. His black leather jacket was almost indistinguishable from the back scene. At first glance, it was definitely Finn. But as he spoke and twisted to emphasize words, the bloody ring around his neck became visible. Seth stepped back and crouched into a corner, wondering who the blood once belonged to.

“Ya have my attent’on, Braun.”

The monster started pacing back and forth. Seth crouched lower; better to let the monster and the demon do battle and stay out of the way, he had enough of his own problems. All of the resolve formerly in Braun was a distant memory. Balor chuckled, his eyes flicking back and forth to keep up.

“Earlier ya said ya wanted to punch my face in. So, how about a little challenge? Next week there will be a fatal four-way, yerself included. If ya come out on top of t’at, then ya are welcome to take a little trip ta Hell… for this.” Balor raised the Universal title into view, causing Braun to stop. The demon king smirked as Braun’s knuckles turned white around the top rope.

Braun growled low and spoke loud, “I’ll see you there.”

Balor nodded. “Perhaps.” Then he was gone.

Seth and the ref flinched when Braun roared. They stayed as still as possible while he stood in furious contemplation. He left the match and the arena, uncaring of the ref’s count. There were bigger problems on the horizon.

***

The crowd was jittery and on the edge of their seats by the main event. Alexa Bliss and Alicia Fox started off first. Their fight ended up on the floor, where Alicia gained her much-needed advantage. To beat the count, Alicia rolled Alexa back into the ring. The goddess of WWE didn’t realize how much trouble she was in until her opponent was landing on her from the top turnbuckle, rendering her unable to kick out of the pin.

Alicia would survive through Mickie James as well. Her demise came at the hands of Bayley, who kept her exhausted body locked together in the middle of the ring. Several Bayley to bellys later, she was pinned.

Bayley didn’t celebrate past a victory pose in the corner before Dana came down to the ring. They were still battling it out when Sasha came out too. She circled the ring, always making sure she was in Bayley’s sights. When she hopped up onto the apron, Bayley tugged Dana to the canvas by her hair and went after her. Sasha dropped to the floor, keeping her engaged in a screaming match.

Dana made it to her feet and lifted Bayley off hers, bench pressing her over her shoulders and letting her drop, then holding on for dear life for the pin. She celebrated for a second, but Sasha was already out there and quickly took her out of the running.

The crowd was conflicted when Rhonda Rousey entered the ring next. Some still believed she was getting to move too fast, others wanted to see how her submission hold would stand up against the Bank Statement. It was soon answered as Sasha battered Rhonda’s sides and spine before flipping her into the hold. Had she also taken care of her legs, perhaps she wouldn’t have been able to crawl to the bottom rope. Rhonda retaliated with a similar tactic. She extended her focus to include injuring her shoulders and stomach, which helped preventing Sasha from being able to bend out of her hold. She tapped before her arm broke.

Moonlight flooded the stage. Ember Moon was next in line for the opportunity at the championship. She deftly avoided Rhonda’s well-aimed attacks and targeted her recent weaknesses. Cheers of encouragement followed her as Ember climbed to the top turnbuckle. Stunned by an earlier kick to the stomach, Rhonda turned and straightened just in time to be Eclipsed. Ember screamed in victory. She was only one more win away from Hell in a Cell when Natalya raced to the ring.

Formerly on the edge of their seats, the audience was on their feet. Swift. Piercing. Dangerous is how Corey described both women. The last round was one that exhausted those not even involved. Luck beat them to it. Natalya crashed on top of Ember and won the count.

At Hell in a Cell, it was going to be Natalya Hart versus Nia Jax for the Raw Women’s Championship.

***

Backstage, Kurt finished typing in a number on his phone. His expression was a mixture of pride and resignation while he waited for the other side to answer.

“I think I may have found an answer to your problem. Yes, I can meet you at the main office tomorrow. Yes, I have absolute confidence in this solution.”


	17. Tensions Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The future match for the Raw Women’s Title is complicated by an attack backstage. Going into Hell in a Cell, the reader’s duties take a sudden jump.

Monday Night Raw – September 3, 2018 – Columbus, OH

“Burn it down!”

Seth made his way to the ring. Chad Gable came out soon after, and they started their match for the chance at the Intercontinental Title. A showdown of strength became a show-off of who had the best series of suplexes. While Chad’s were harder to get up from, Seth’s had the crowd’s vote. They eventually ended up in opposite corners to catch their breath.

The match was interrupted by strumming. “Ladies and gentlemen: Elias.”

He was given the spotlight on the stage but didn’t seem too put off. “I believe I missed my introduction.” He smirked and played a chord. “Now while the two amateurs do their thing, the rest of you can listen to what you actually came here to see. Me. After all, WWE stands for?” He nodded his head at their response. “You all came to see me. Hear my music. My gift to share with this… well, this moonscape of a town that’s not really worth my time.”

In the ring, Seth and Chad shrugged at each other. They stumbled as he started to play, but continued their fight anyway. They had an unspoken agreement not to attack if the other needed to react to what Elias was saying. He mocked Seth’s obsession with CrossFit and his former injury. With Chad, he repeatedly compared him to a high school wrestler and asked him where his partners were. The last point got to him the most. He was about to step out of the ring when Seth pulled him back in.

“Let’s finish the match. If you beat me he’s almost yours anyway. Keep your head in the right-“

Chad cut him off with a series of emotional punches. Seth didn’t take kindly to that. He retaliated harshly with what he had been holding back as part of not letting Elias’s song get to him. Seth growled as Elias changed the tune to something akin to a video game boss battle.

He wanted his title back. And if he had his way, that guitar-playing hipster annoyance was never going to get his grubby musical fingers on it again.

Chad ate a curb stomp and a pin.

Elias swung his guitar over his shoulder and walked down to the ring. He gave Seth a wide berth as the techies set up his usual seating arrangement.

***

You were running over your itinerary when Kurt Angle walked up. “Y/N, can I ask a favor?”

This wasn’t going to be big, so you kept making notes. “You can ask, and I’ll do my best to fulfill. What can I do for you?”

“I need to go away on business next week and I need someone to run the show. You, preferably.”

Ah, what now? Your hands fluttered around your face from covering it to supporting it like Sherlock Holmes. “Me? What about Steph-“

Kurt nodded, “Also part of the business trip.”

“What about Dean? He’s hosted… oh yeah. He’s got a match tonight, with a possibility of already being in one next week.” No other names readily came to mind. You sighed, “I don’t know…”

“It’s just one week. Most of the matches have already been set. You’d only have to come up with one or two matches, and knowing this crew they might solve that problem for you.” He shook his head as you worried your nails into your palm. “I’m asking you because everyone here respects you. They know you won’t be walked over, and they listen to you.” You still didn’t give him an answer. “Think about it and let me know before the end of the night. Okay?”

“Yes, sir.” The nervous butterflies in your stomach turned to bricks as you left his office.

***

“In a drab little town they call Columbus,” Elias sang, “I find hard to find much. And many an hour o’ sweet happiness, I spent in any other town. ‘Till bad misfortune came over me, which caused me to stay around. Far away from real civilization-“

Dean’s music interrupted.

“No, no. no!” Elias stood and glared at Dean, who shrugged from the stage. He continued smirking and rubbing his hands together all the way to the ring, ignoring Elias’s personal space. “You better hope you don’t make it through this tournament or I will make you regret it.” The lunatic stepped aside and motioned that Elias could keep playing. He sat on a bottom turnbuckle like had won a front row seat. “I don’t trust you,” he said. Dean shrugged and rested his elbows on his knees.

Maybe one or two notes had hit the air before Sunil Singh came out and introduced Jinder Mahal. Elias stomped out of the ring and waited impatiently for his stool to be brought to the outside.

Jinder’s height advantage only lasted as long as he didn’t let Dean get to his feet. Even then, the Shield member risked more damage by taking time to ask Elias to play. The reply he got was angry playing and nothing to say. When Dean turned around, he just missed a boot to the face and began his own attack. Sunil, when he wasn’t focused on listening to the guitar, did his best to undermine his movements and was successful enough for Jinder to gain the upper hand. Then Sunil wasn’t where he needed to be and bounced off his employer.

With a kick and a drop, Jinder was pinned after a Dirty Deeds. Nobody in the ring proximity was happy about that outcome, so he left quickly.

***

Outside of the Nia Jax’s locker room, Renee was waiting. She knocked again and stepped back when she finally heard footsteps. She smiled back to the champion once they were standing together. “Nia, you have had the Women’s Title for a while now. Your next title defense has just been officially announced. Do you have any reservations about facing another tried and tested veteran, Natalya, at Hell in a Cell?”

Nia shook her head. “Not at all. Natalya and I have had matches before. Some were ruled in her favor, many in mine. But it’s been a while and I’m looking forward to it.”

“Do you think she is going to be dishing out some revenge on Rhonda Rousey’s behalf?”

“Ha. No. Rhonda is her own woman. If she’s got problems with me, she knows where to find me. As for Natalya, she is also her own woman with her own goals and aspirations in this company. There’s not going to be anything out of place-“

Renee flattened herself against the wall as Nia was attacked from behind. Ruby Riott laughed and kicked at her stomach and ribs. Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan were nowhere to be seen, but Renee didn’t stay to find out. Ruby was about to pull Nia to her feet when arms wrapped around her stomach and pulled her away. Natalya slammed her into some crates and checked on Nia. She stood, ready for another attack, and shouted at Ruby.

“What are you doing?”

Ruby checked her lip for blood with a smirk. “Ensuring my place at Hell in a Cell. You don’t mind do you?”

“I earned my spot. You don’t get to cut the line.” She stomped forward, forcing Ruby back.

“Cut the line? I was just taking notes from your friend Rhonda.” Twin cackling voices came up behind her. Liv and Sarah flanked Ruby in case Natalya lunged, or Nia recovered from offscreen. “Now if you’ve really got an issue with my methods, why not teach me a lesson? I just took care of Nia, and if I can beat you in a match I get to join you two at Hell in a Cell. How about that?”

Natalya scoffed. “You really think I’d walk into that trap? With your two back-ups, I’m not going to be put into the position to be outnumbered.”

Ruby looked at her teammates and shooed them away. “That’s an easy fix. I’ll make sure Sarah and Liv stay backstage. Just you and me.” She held out her hand for a handshake. Natalya stared at it like it was an unreliable contract. She took it anyway, gripping it tightly until Ruby fought to get away.

***

While the agreement was being made in the back, Alicia Fox had made her entrance into the ring for her match with Sasha Banks. The Boss made her entrance without much pomp or circumstance. She motioned for the bell almost as soon as she got in the ring, a motion that Alicia repeated. The referee complied.

It was another golden match between the two. Each woman was putting all she had out on the canvas and dragging her opponent through it. Alicia was able to escape a Bank Statement with a fingertips grip on the ropes. Sasha had just enough energy to arch out of a Northern Lights Suplex. Miraculously, neither had attempted to use the other’s hair to their advantage.

The stage lit up with bright neon colors.

Sasha froze. She turned slowly and faced the stage just in time to see Bayley come out. With a growl, she turned back towards Alicia, who backed away in a snap with her hands held up in surrender. Bayley smiled as Sasha came to the ropes. “What are you doing here, Bayley? Nobody asked for you.”

“Actually, they did.” Bayley ignored Sasha’s further comments and joined Corey, Cole, and Coachman at the desk. She put on her headphones so she could participate. It also doubled as a noise dampener to whatever Sasha was yelling. “Hey, guys. Sorry I’m late. Didn’t want to back into too many people backstage.”

“We’re glad to have you, Bayley,” Cole said. Corey started to comment, but he flinched as Alicia grabbed Sasha by her shoulders and dropped her to the canvas.

It was all distraction from then on. Sasha would do enough to keep Alicia down for a while, then would only take the pin to two. Every time she looked over at commentary, Bayley would look down at absent notes. Even Alicia screaming as her forehead was run across the ropes couldn’t catch Bayley’s attention.

“If you were just going to ignore me, why did you come out?” Sasha glared at her. She barely removed her shin from the back of Alicia’s neck on the ropes in time for the count. The ref tried to give her a warning, but she waved him away. “I am doing everything you have ever been scared to do. Extreme Rules was a fluke. You only won the match because I pushed you to your limits. Then like a coward you put that huggable façade back on. When are you going to learn? You are not soft and friendly. You are hard and vicious. Like m-“

Alicia had taken plenty of time to catch her breath. She tried the suplexes again, now that Sasha was out of breath herself. They were successful. She bounced out of the ring and up the ramp with the win.

Bayley took off her headset and walked to the side of the ring that Sasha had rolled to. “That is why I came out.”

***

Kurt was just about to leave his office after officiating Natalya and Ruby’s match when you arrived. “Mr. Angle,” you said, passing him a sheet of paper, “you said next week was pretty much set up. For the problems I can foresee arising, I came up with a few ideas. Look over them and text me any suggestions or alterations. I’ve got one last interview, so I can’t stay.” You quickly shook his hand and rushed out shouting over your shoulder. “Thanks for the opportunity!

He looked over the sheet and nodded his head in pleasant surprise. “She’s going to be great.”

***

Thankfully Elias was where he was supposed to be. You took a deep breath and took your mic and list of questions. “Congratulations on your concert tonight, Elias. It went better than many of your previous attempts.”

He scrunched his nose in disagreement. “That was not the concert I was promised. I guess I will have to wait until Hell in a Cell to give a proper one.”

“Speaking of, what are your initial thoughts about your possible opponent. Tonight, it was decided that it will either be Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins. Do you have a preference?”

“No.” He chuckled, “but you probably do.” You ignored that remark with a huff and waited for him to say anything more. “It doesn’t matter which member of the Shield shows up to the cell. Neither of them will be walking out with my title.” His scarf was suddenly interesting. Fiddling with it, he asked you a question. “What did _you_ think about my music tonight?”

You gulped. “Um.” Elias frowned. “No, no. They were good. Great. I just have a preference to when you just… play.”

“You like it better when I don’t sing.”

“Not like that. It’s just… every week you insult the town we’re in and your opponents or people who have wronged you. And I agree, most of them deserve it. But when you strum out a tune? It’s new every time. I was never dexterous enough to learn an instrument. Words are more my thing. When you leave the words out of it, I hear so much more. More than what I can expand my own horizons too. It really is a gift.” You couldn’t tell if he was deep in thought or aloof. “Please don’t hate me too much.”

Elias’s cheeks tensed as he held back a smile. With one more quick glance at you, he started playing a more cheerful reprise of one of the earlier songs. You smiled as he walked away.

***

Ruby made a big show of sending Liv and Sarah away from the ring. They had accompanied her right up to the apron, joining her in slapping the canvas. Natalya was unfazed by their display. She continued to be unfazed through the start of the match.

The crowd was behind Natalya one hundred percent. It made her faster. Unpredictable in the best of ways. And stronger. She held Ruby in a choke hold for a long time, hoping to weaken her quickly and end the match sooner. The sooner the match was over, the sooner she could prepare for her match with Nia. But letting her mind drift to Hell in a Cell early had it’s consequence. Ruby made her move.

Everything Natalya had built up was undone. Ruby had stored away her energy and now used it against Natalya’s growing exhaustion. She twisted her arm around as far as it could go, then kicked high into her face. The number one contender was officially ruled a co-contender as Ruby won the pin.

“I’ll see you at Hell in a Cell,” Ruby called up to her from the floor.

***

The main event could only be described as bedlam. Nobody was aligned with the other or had any qualms about completely demolishing anyone. Braun and Lashley went after each other. Kevin rolled out of the ring and Roman stood in one corner. Waiting. He was brought into the center of the action when Lashley crashed into him. Braun soon had them both by the throat and sent them bouncing on the canvas.

Kevin tried to attack Braun after that and was partially successful. He tossed him into a corner and rolled into his chest with a cannonball. Braun fell to one side and Kevin tried for a pin, but he was too close to the ropes. Grabbing onto the bottom one, Braun pulled himself to the outside with Kevin still sitting on his chest desperately holding onto his leg.

Roman and Lashley made it to their feet. They tossed Kevin out of the ring and fought one another. This circling continued until it was just Roman and Braun in the ring. Roman jumped for a superman punch but was caught around his waist. Braun dropped him in a powerslam that kept him from moving for the count of three… or for several seconds more.

He threw Roman over the ropes to the floor where the others were also laid out. When he turned around, Finn Balor was standing right behind him. The Universal was bright and proud around his waist. With a roar, he charged. But Finn was too quick, and Braun had just been through an intense match. Braun was taken to his knees and then to his back where Finn could jump on him in a Coup de Grace.

The human side of the demon laughed on his way out of the ring. He stepped over Roman, Kevin, and Lashley each in turn. He turned at the top of the ramp, a bright smug smile on his face.


	18. As It Could Have Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the last Monday before Hell in a Cell and the Reader is in control. Sort of. A lot of things go wrong, there are egos to buffer, and ‘deviation from the plan’ is the phrase of the night. But some blue-brand reassurance helps boost the Reader’s confidence.

Monday Night Raw – September 10, 2018 – Beaumont, TX

You jumped as your music started and a backdrop in your favorite color took over the Titantron. With a deep breath, you walked out onto the stage. Your smile became brighter one the way to the ring as the crowd welcomed you.

“Hello, Beaumont, Texas!” It was taking nearly all of your willpower to not let the microphone shake in your hands. “I wanted to start tonight by letting you know that tonight is not going to be a normal night. Kurt Angle is away on a business trip and is meeting with Stephanie McMahon.” Deep breaths, deep breaths. “He asked me last week to take over managing Raw this week. I have to admit, I am a little nervous.” When they cheered, you grew a little bolder. “This week is still going to be action-packed. There’s the last round of the Intercontinental Concert Series, and Finn Balor has asked for some time to speak to Roman Reigns, and then for a match with him. I know we’re a little off plan tonight, but it’s Raw. When does it ever go according to pla-“

Bagpipes sounded, and a Celtic symbol showed up on stage. Sheamus hesitantly peaked out, then continued down to the ring. He apologized on his way through the ropes. “Sorry ‘bout that. I wasn’t expectin’ my music to happen so quick. Didn’t mean ta interrupt ya, Miss Ambrose.”

You dropped your mic to your waist. “Just Y/N, please.” With a smile, you brought it back up. “No problem. I didn’t really have anything more to say.” For all the space in the ring. Sheamus stopped about a meter from where you were standing. “Um, do I trust you enough to know why you’re here, or should you tell me?”

“Oh, yeah, Kurt told me last week I could watch the show, help you out an’ the like if you need it.”

“Just to watch? Have fun with that.” It sounded plausible. But there had to be something else, right? “And maybe… scouting some future competition?”

Sheamus nodded. “Yes, lass. And to pass along how much everybody misses you on Smackdown. Even Becky and Aiden are getting along now.”

“That’s good to hear.” You shifted your weight. “But that’s it?”

He licked his lips to say more, then dropped off into a shrug. “That’s it.”

“Okay, then. Welcome to Monday Night Raw. Try to keep yourself out of-“ You were interrupted again, this time by Baron Corbin. What was it with wrestlers? Did they break out in hives if someone was able to finish a thought?

Baron walked down the ramp. “Y/N.”

“Mr. Corbin.”

“Actually, that’s Constable Corbin now.” He stepped through the ropes with a smirk.

“Excuse me?” Baron bumped past Sheamus and handed you a letter. You read it out loud. “From Stephanie McMahon: tonight, I am assigning Baron Corbin to assist you as constable. He is operating under my jurisdiction and- what the heck am I supposed to do with this? You’re here to answer any questions I might have about matches and to back me up?”

He nodded. “Yes, if I think what you’re doing aligns with the wishes of Stephanie McMahon.” He thumped your back. “Good luck.” He turned on his heel and bumped Sheamus again on the way out.

What the hell? You sputtered and looked to Sheamus. He punched his palm and nodded towards Baron’s exiting form. You shook your head. He shrugged and sat on the ropes so the both of you could exit the ring.

***

You were barely off the stage before Finn Balor’s music started. He gave you a reassuring nod and you sent him a ‘have fun’ before getting out of the way. You couldn’t help but hover in Gorilla, watching his entrance just out of the view of the audience.

Once in the ring, he took a mic and turned expectantly towards the stage. He tapped at the Universal Title around his waist as Roman entered and made his way to the ring. A grin sneaked across his face as Roman made him wait by standing by each of the ring posts like it was the beginning of a match.

“Are ya done?”

Roman walked away to collect a mic.

“I wan’ed to speak with you about last week’s match.” Finn scoffed. “What happened? Braun t’rew you around like a rag doll. And because of it, you don’t ‘ave a match at Hell in a Cell.”

Roman nodded. “And what of it?”

“I thought this was your yard, Big Dog?”

“It is. Sometimes I just like to sit back and watch the squirrels run around.”

Finn laughed. Out of the range of the mic, he made Roman smile with, “that was good.” He cleared his throat and continued. “Would you say t’at you know Braun’s skills the best?” He waited for Roman’s confused ‘possibly’ nod. “While I was watching last week’s match for my Universal title, I noticed a few things about you two.” Finn began to count on his fingers. “You are both willing to fight until your last breaths. You don’t take shortcuts. An’ you realize who the biggest threat is and handle t’em after taking out the others so ya won’t be interrupted.”

“Thanks for that analysis, but Y/N said you asked for a match as well. What does all of that,” he circled his hand in front of Finn’s face, “have to do with this.” He motioned between themselves.

“If I want to beat Braun again, in a way that discourages him from trying again to take my title away, at least for a while, then I have to beat the man who knows him best.”

Biting his lip, Roman huffed. “You want to fight me… as practice? So that other people can challenge you for the Universal Title?”

“Yes.”

Roman shifted his weight and looked down at Finn. “Then let’s get started.” The mic hadn’t hit the ground yet before he was swinging his fist in Finn’s direction. The champion was ready for it, but only halfway as he took some of the hit and was rolled out of the ring. They shared a smug smile as Finn shed his jacket and passed his title to the ref that rushed down to the ring.

Finn spent the first half of the match keeping up with what Roman threw at him. Every heavy hit or drop that he could dish out, Finn had to take it until he could fight back to his feet. Then it was a matter of height where Finn surprisingly took the advantage. His acrobatics combined with the spring of the ropes kept Roman from really being able to defend himself. Occasionally, he was able to knock Finn down with a superman punch. Another time, Finn took the full brunt of a spear, but he came up with a growl and a renewed vigor.

The second spear was easily avoided, and Roman’s shoulder crashed into the post. Finn yanked him away and rushed up the turnbuckles for the coup de grace. Between the exhaustion of keeping up with him and the exponential injuries, Roman was unable to break out of the count.

Finn took back his title from the ref and shook Roman’s hand before leaving the ring.

***

Baron trailed behind you out of the office as you followed the sound of metal clanging against concrete and crates being upturned. When you slid to a stop, he bumped into you. A techie barely dodged a flying steel chair and you jumped forward.

“Braun! Seriously? What’s the trouble this time?”

He froze and turned to look at you. “Roman had a match with Finn. Practice, he said. Where is my practice for Hell in a Cell?”

“Um, you hadn’t asked for one. Finn asked Kurt last week. He’s usually pretty open to giving people matches. That doesn’t mean you can go on a rampage backstage. Seriously. Just come talk to me.” His chest heaved, and his fists tightened around invisible foes. You turned to Baron with a gulp. “Suggestions?”

He answered a call. “You’re the Braun wrangler. I’m only here to observe and to help when you need it.”

“Um, I need help.” You motioned towards Braun.

“Not right now,” he dropped his voice to a harsh whisper, “I’m on the phone. Yes, Stephanie?”

Okay, you could do this. You pushed Baron out of the way so you could grab a chair. Braun watched you amused as you stood on it. You huffed. “You want a match?”

“Yeah.

With a nervous sigh, you gave him the bad news first. “There’s not really a space for it tonight. But,” you held your hands up to stop whatever movements he was about to do, “now hear me out, I will try to find you someone to fight if you can promise not to put any more of my techies in danger?” You thought for a second. “Possibly multiple someone’s. Okay? A tentative deal?” You held out your hand and waited for his.

He looked at your hand, then the chair she’s standing on, then your face. “Deal.” He shook your hand gently, despite his completely swallowing yours. “Thanks.”

Once you had stepped off the chair, Baron poked your shoulder. “Your phone is ringing.” He left you fuming. You answered the call, only after checking to see who it was. “Hi, Mr. Angle. Yes, everything is going just fine.”

***

Sasha Banks was pacing the ring. “I’ve got to get something off my chest.” She came to a halt in the center of the ring and composed herself. “A few months ago, Bayley and I started down what I had hoped was the last mile of our issues. I had hoped to leave what happened at Extreme Rules behind us. Then last week, Bayley interfered and cost me my match. She wasn’t even supposed to be in the arena!” Sasha took another breath. “What I have come here to say, is this: I admit I have made mistakes in the past, and I have paid for them. I have worked through them and I am going to keep moving forward. But Bayley,” she turned towards the stage, “you obviously still have issues to work out. So let’s finish this. Hell in a Cell, locked in together with no way out until we are done.” She licked her lips. “And if you beat me… unlikely… then we split ways and I will not even look in your direction if you can agree to do the same.”

For a second, nothing happened. Then the Titantron lit up in bright colors. Bayley walked out and gave Sasha some fake applause. “And there she is. One of the best actresses in the business. It’s speeches like that, that make you think she’s really changed. When in reality, she’s learned people have caught onto her lies and are calling her out on them.”

“I want to bury the hatchet, Bayley. That’s all.” Sasha held her hands up in surrender. “What we could have been, all of my past, I’m leaving it behind me. Why can’t you let me drop it?”

“No.” Bayley pointed at her and almost stepped towards the ramp. “You don’t get to make me look like I’m the villain. I’ve heard that monologue tpo many times for it to work anymore. You want to bury the hatchet? Fine. Let me run this by you.” Bayley fiddled with the tassels on her jacket for a moment.

Sasha nervously waited.

“I admit I was grumbling earlier today about you and all this, and Dana overheard me. She was looking through some classic matches and suggested one to solve our problem. You might know the one. Triple H versus Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Three Ways to Hell match.” She smiled as Sasha recognized it. “If you don’t remember the rules, the first pin is normal. After that, it’s street fight rules and anything goes. After another pin, the steel cage descends and there’s no way out except by pinfall or submission.” Bayley dropped the last bit of the smile she had been clinging to. “That’s what you wanted right? No way out, the last call? No room for any continuation of this… whatever this was.” Bayley motioned between themselves.

Sasha nodded. “Last call. Hell in a Cell.”

“I’ll see you there.”

***

Natalya walked up just as you were confirming Sasha and Bayley’s match with Kurt. Rhonda Rousey was by her side, bumping shoulders with Baron to do so. “I want a rematch. Me against Ruby Riott. If she loses she loses her place in the championship match.” Before you could ask questions or protest, she held her hand up to silence you. “Last week was a mistake. I want to fix it.”

You checked your match sheet. There was room. And since you had sort of foreseen this last week, Kurt had given you that power. Still. “Are you sure? Aren’t you worried you’re focusing so much on Ruby that you’re forgetting about Nia?”

Way to sink back into journalist mode, Y/N.

“I think that’s why I lost last week. I was so focused on what I wanted Hell in a Cell to be that I lost sight of the goal at hand. Mentally planning for Nia got in the way of what I had to do to Ruby.” She slapped her hands together to pump herself up. “I know I can fix it. Have the championship match as planned.”

Both of you froze as Ruby and the Squad wandered into the space. Ruby would have stepped nose-to-nose with Natalya had you not stayed in the way. She gave you a quick glance, then refocused on Natalya. “Figured you be here. Oh, and a little birdy told me you were headed this way.” Liv Morgan jutted her chin over Ruby’s shoulder with a ‘tweet’. “Trying to kick me out of Hell in a Cell after making it so easy for me to get there in the first place?”

Rhonda grabbed hold of Natalya’s shoulders to keep her from surging forward.

“What are you worried about? The great match it could have been got better. You should let the match happen, Y/N. Even if it’s going to end just like it did last week.”

You took the bait with a sigh. “And why do you say that?”

“Because Natalya knows at Hell in a Cell she has nothing to fear from me. We will share a common goal. Even if we prefer different methods. As for this week, I have nothing to lose. What Natalya is afraid of is how her heart gets in the way of the goal.” She smirked and tapped your schedule. “Be a dear, Y/N, and make the match. If I lose, I’m out. If I win, then things go according to plan. But this week, let’s have people ringside. Agreed, Natty?”

Natalya looked back at Rhonda, who nodded. “Fine. But that is not going to end in your favor.”

Ruby laughed. “Funny. I was going to say the same thing about you.”

“Make the match, Y/N,” Baron said. “You already made space for it, and both parties are asking for it.” He talked over you. “We don’t need to discuss it. Just call it.”

You looked at each of the determined parties. “Okay. The rematch is the main event.” As everyone filed out, you muttered under your breath. “Sometimes I hate being right.”

***

With the match set between Bayley and Sasha, the Legit Boss was able to focus on her match for the night. Mickie James was unable to dampen her spirits, not for lack of trying.

“You’re alone here because of your own actions, Sasha,” she screamed at her. “Hell in a Cell should be the least of your worries. Your focus should be what the locker room is going to do to you once they realize how vulnerable you are.” Mickie broke away from Sasha’s attempted hold. “Especially after you lose tonight… and on Sunday.”

Sasha elbowed her in the face before she could say another word, then wrapped her up in the Bank Statement. “We’ll see about that,” Sasha whispered as Mickie tapped out. 

***

“Y/N.” Elias walked up, guitar over his shoulder.

You shook your head and went back to looking at your phone. “I’ve a lot on my plate tonight, and you don’t have a match. Kurt didn’t schedule one.” You puffed as he placed his hand over the screen.

“Why not?”

“Uh, the schedule didn’t say.” Perhaps… you gave him a smile. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll find you someone.”

“Not Braun,” he said.

Best laid plans. “What? Why not Braun? You did pretty well against him last time. Well, you survived better than most,” you added with a shrug.

Elias remained neutral. “That still isn’t saying much. Braun has been completely out of control. And I am not sacrificing my ability to hold onto my title next week so you can have an easy week now. I’m a champion. And I am going to keep it that way, despite your best efforts.”

You waved away his complaints. “Please, I am really stressed about tonight. Anything you can do to help this show run as smoothly as possible will be greatly appreciated. If even just in brownie points.” Another idea came to mind. “Actually, there were brownies in catering. I can reserve a few if that’s enough incentive.”

He squinted as you waited on baited breath. “To not have a match or to fight Braun.” You tilted your hand back and forth for either. “For no match… what if it is?”

“Then I owe you one.” Dangerous, but it felt necessary.

“Deal.” He gave you a nod and left the office. You immediately went on the walkie-talkie and reserved those brownies for when he got there.

***

Seth Rollins and Dean couldn’t help but laugh at each other. How many times had they clashed reaching for the same goal? How many times had they won one together? And here they were, once again going head to head. The crowd rewarded their talent with ‘Monday Night Rollins’ and ‘Let’s Go Ambrose’ chants.

From the corner of his eye, Seth saw a guitar slide into the ring. He tipped Dean over the ropes and ducked out of the way of Elias’s swing. By the time he had curb-stomped Elias and toss him out, Dean was back in the ring. He hadn’t seen the events, so he continued with his earlier moves and wiped Seth out with a Dirty Deeds.

Elias’s head peeked into view as Dean won the pin. He exited the arena with a knowing grin as Dean started to put the pieces together. Above his head, the distraction replayed on the Titantron.

Dean twisted around and helped Seth up into a sitting position. “Why didn’t you say something, you loser? We could have kicked him out together and-“

Seth waved his words away. “Nah, man. It’s your turn. He took that from me, and I’m going to have your back when you take it from him.” He groaned as Dean heaved him to his feet. “Damn, that move is intense.” Dean laughed and helped him out of the ring.

***

You were sitting on a crate staring at your ringing phone when Sheamus sat down next to you. Gently, he took your phone and placed it on the far side of him.

“How have you been enjoying the show?” you asked.

He nodded. “It’s been great. Action packed, with just the right amount of drama. And ya know what your wrestlers need to make the night run… smoother. You’ve been doing great.” He scooted closer when you didn’t reply. “How do _you_ think you did?”

“I think I’m drowning. I’m unqualified for this kind of stuff. There was that thing with Braun. Then Corbin left no room for discussion about Natalya’s rematch. I still don’t think she really wants to do it. Or needs to. Seth lost to Dean, not because of skill or outsmarting each other, but because I didn’t set up enough security to keep Elias from interfering. Everything has gone wrong and I feel like I’ve let everyone down.” You dropped your voice. “I don’t want to let Dean down.”

Sheamus hesitated, then followed through with wrapping his arm around your shoulders. “Considerin’ you’ve only been in the company for a few months, you’re doin’ fantastic. I’ve been ‘ere for… well, forever, and I know I couldn’t do nearly as well as you did.” He rubbed his hand up and down your arm. “If ya could pick one good t’ing about tonight…”

It took a minute for your brain to wrap around the question. “Tonight wasn’t as chaotic as it could have been.”

“Good.”

“And you. Whether you’re here as a spy or what, thank you. I didn’t mean to dump my worries on you, but you took them like a champ.”

He nudged your shoulder with a wink. “Anytime, lass.” He handed your phone back. “Last two matches?”

“Last two matches.”

***

The match you had thrown together for Braun was set. He seemed pleased to hear of the gauntlet match you had planned, but he didn’t know who would be participating until they came out.

Bobby Roode did a rushed version of his entrance and rushed into the ring to meet Braun. The Monster was confused why it was so hard to knock his opponent down. He was sturdy and could use the ropes for an extra launch. He lasted a good seven minutes before Braun caught him over his shoulder. Roode rolled to the floor after the powerslam the following count.

Next was Tyler Breeze. He left his selfie stick in the back and paused outside the ring where Roode was still trying to get to his feet. Breeze was hesitant. He tried several hits and dropkicks, changing things up when nothing seemed to have an effect. The match eventually found its way to the outside, and Breeze found himself on the run. He changed directions, trying to trick Braun up. This ended in a mid-air three-sixty spin, after which he was tossed back into the ring and pinned.

Braun anxiously waited for his next opponent, grinning as he watched Mojo Rawley’s colors take over the stage. But Mojo attacked from behind. Braun fell forward to his knee, giving Mojo plenty of back space to hit. It became a power struggle, with Braun still winning in the end. But barely.

Heath Slater was in no hurry to get hit once he made it to the ring. He dodged and weaved just out of Braun’s range, then swooped in with his best. Slater focused on his knees and the back of his ribs where Mojo had done the most damage. In theory, continuing this plan would have made it difficult, if not impossible, for Braun to lift him and drop him for a powerslam. This did not work against big boots to the face. Slater was counted out.

Each man you scheduled shared an aspect with Finn Balor. Roode had his pride and a similar entrance, as well as also being an NXT champion. (As you found out from Dana Brooke.) Breeze was quick an unpredictable. Mojo was full of an energy that sometimes intensified with anger. Slater was probably the closest to having a playful technique, though he could be serious when he wanted to be. Given a chance with proper preparation, these men could have stood a chance.

The last man’s music queued. Curt Hawkins came out, twirling his baton in one hand and holding a mic on the other. “Surprise, surprise,” he said, “you made it through the rabble. And now? My losing streak is going to break, and everybody here will see that I am the true talent of Monday Night Raw.”

And Hawkins… well. Technically he had asked to fight “an exhausted Braun” last in hopes of breaking his own losing streak. That didn’t happen. Braun beat them all, fair and of his own power.

***

Natalya gave Ruby no room to gain the advantage. In their corners, Rhonda, Liv, and Sarah cheered them on and glared at each other. With each passing minute, Ruby realized just how focused her opponent was. In her mind, the opportunity at Hell in a Cell was slipping through her fingers.

She nodded at her Squad.

Liv ducked down first while Sarah hopped up on the apron. When Rhonda circled around to stop her, Liv had circled the ring. She was surrounded. Natalya dropped Ruby but didn’t go for the pin. “Don’t worry about me,” Rhonda shouted, waving her away. Natalya went back to her match while Liv and Sarah ganged up on her friend.

The match was almost over as Natalya had Ruby pinned to the mat. She backed off at two, hearing a body colliding with the steel steps. Rushing to the ropes, she saw the two women kicking at Rhonda. She hesitated to leave the ring or to finish the match. It was decided for her as Ruby rolled her up and borrowed some leverage from the ropes to hold her down.

The Riott Squad met up by the ramp while Rhonda crawled into the ring to stand with Natalya.

“As it should be, Natalya,” Ruby called back. “As it should be.”


	19. When Hell breaks Loose (Hell in a Cell)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader managers her first, and hopefully only, pay-per-view. If everything runs smoothly, maybe she’ll get her job back. Or maybe she wants it to run off the rails to remind Kurt Angle that managing is not what she was hired for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: wrestling violence, blatant borrowing of “Piece of Mind” by Boston, extreme rules match, some blood (just a trickle)

Hell in a Cell – September 16, 2018 – San Antonio, TX

Hell in a Cell began with the match for the Intercontinental Championship. And with Elias in his usual spot. On the canvas, laid like a line in the sand, was the gleaming white title. He led in with a longer, upbeat strumming.

“If you’re feeling kind of low about the life you’ve been living, n’ Monday nights come way to slow, and you want to walk but you keep on runnin’, can’t decide which way to go, yeah, yeah, yeah. I understand about indecision, but I don’t care if you get left behind. San Antonio needs some demolition; walk with Elias and you’ll have your peace of mind.”

He shuddered to a stop as “Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta,” broke through. Elias stood and tossed his mic and stool out of the ring. He squinted. Counting on his fingers, he located Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Dean was a little bit shorter, so he must have been walking down behind Roman. It was too late by the time he realized the returned Lunatic Fringe wasn’t with his brothers. Dean beat down on him from behind to start the match.

Seth and Roman sat on either side of the announce table with Corey Graves, Michael Cole, and Renee Young. They took their headsets and informed the group that they were there to keep Elias from using his guitar to end the match. And that Dean had told them during the pre-show to stay out of the way.

That was the plan anyway.

The match had stayed in the ring for the most part, but then Dean went flying over the ropes. Roman dashed off to make sure he was okay, leaving Seth to watch Elias. The musician exited the ring and headed for the time keeper’s box, reaching for his guitar. Seth got caught up in the wires of his headset and was unable to stop him.

Dean came around the corner. The referee was yelling at Roman to back off on another side of the ring. Seth was still stumbling to get off the floor.

Elias swung.

He rolled Dean back into the ring. Dean had made it to his hands and knees, but Elias jumped and landed his knee on the back of his head. Next came a drift away, and then a three count. Elias smirked at Roman and Seth as the ref lifted his hand high while he rested his foot on Dean’s stomach.

He made a quick exit with his retained title.

***

Bayley and Sasha Banks stared each other down as the bell rang. Best two out of three pins, or submissions, would win the match. If they were lucky, it would be the same person twice in a row, or the steel cell would have to descend.

Under normal rules, Bayley won the first pin. She was quick and wanted to leave no room for discussion over who the better wrestler was. The loop of Bayley to Bellies kept Sasha from catching her breath. Sasha rolled out of the ring as Bayley took a second to celebrate.

A mistake.

Sasha came up with a trashcan that bent around Bayley’s shoulder as she tried to come through the ropes. It was tossed into the ring and the matching lid. She continued to use the can on Bayley’s crumpled body, only stopping when she was bent in half herself over the lid. With a scream, she forced Bayley back and caught her against the mat with the lid across her stomach. She won the second pin.

They broke apart and the referee threw out the weapons as the cage was lowered. It clanged into place, making both women shiver. For a minute, neither of them moved. The referee had to step back as they met in a headlock coupled with punches to their heads and ribs. They spun and bounced around the ring. Then they had the same thought.

The crowd held their breath as Sasha climbed up one corner and Bayley climbed the opposite one. They held onto the cables controlling the rise and fall of the cage. Sasha smirked. Bayley frowned. Neither believed the other would go through with it, and they waited for the first woman to back down. Neither did. The tension in their legs built and built as their stances changed.

They jumped.

Even in mid-air, they continued to fight, rolling and tumbling until their bodies crashed to the canvas.

Since no one was moving, the referee started the count that would end the match. All either woman had to do to win was get to her feet. Eight. Nine. Ten. Nobody was standing.

***

Things did not go according to Ruby’s plan.

In her mind, she and Natalya would have taken out Nia Jax, and then finished their issues between themselves. Instead, the other two women shared a look that chilled her skin. She raised her hands up defensively, having no effect on their advances. Sure that she would have this in the bag, Ruby had made Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan stay in the back. She kept her eyes on Nia, considering her the biggest threat. When she turned to make an escape through the ropes, Natalya was there with the first attack. They didn’t let up until Ruby wasn’t moving and outside of the ring.

For two women who hadn’t really faced each other alone in the ring, Nia and Natalya wrestled like old friends. They knew each other’s move sets, their rhythms, their habits. Natalya was hyperaware of Nia’s strength advantage, while Nia was the same about her quick feet and quicker thinking. Natalya kept her attacks focused on Nia’s lower back while trying to fight off the pain her torso was taking

They were wearing each other down when Ruby scrambled back into the ring. Nia had just leg slammed Natalya and was easily knocked out of the way so she could try for a pin. She was unsuccessful and ended up giving the Hart lineage time to breathe while Nia retaliated. This time, Ruby was able to fight off the attack. She was tipped over the ropes but brought Nia’s arm and shoulder with her. The ref counted to three and a half before she let go, falling to the apron.

Natalya dragged her back in and kept the match going. Any trick Ruby tried, she had already seen it and was ready for it. Ruby was almost pinned, but Nia interceded and rolled her out of the ring again.

They went at it again. The injuries piled up. Oxygen was getting harder to find. Finally, Natalya trapped Nia beneath her in a sharpshooter. They were dangerously close to the ropes, but because of Ruby’s interference, Nia couldn’t reach them. She had to tap. From the corner, she watched as the referee handed her title to the new champion. She nodded. This is how it should be.

Natalya stared at the title. The young history of it and all that had come before blinded her. She swore to herself she would fight to be worthy of it as the referee lifted her hand in victory.

***

The second the arena pulsed with red light, Braun knew Finn Balor was going to be willing to do anything to hang onto the Universal title. The demon didn’t terrify him as much, but it was the embodiment of Finn’s drive and feral determination. As long as the demon was in play, he didn’t have much of a chance to take the title away. Choice word ‘much’. It still left enough room for ‘maybe.’

Balor grinned sharp and lethal as the cage descended. While it was a constricting construction, it was also a possible weapon. They both knew it. Balor was going to make sure he used it best.

It didn’t take long for the cage to come into effect. Balor clamored up the sides like a spider, jumping down onto Braun and wrapping his arms around the monster’s throat. Backing into turnbuckles didn’t dislodge him. The demon tightened his grip as Braun climbed the ropes, then let go and leaped before Braun’s falling body could trap him against the canvas.

It became a game of cat and mouse.

Braun had the burning desire to change his fate. Balor had the raging purpose to retain. There was blood. Just a trickle, but enough to blind the demon. Braun continued to rake his face across the chain link. After pulling him away, he then lifted Balor up onto his shoulders and tossed him into the walls.

He came up with a roar. It didn’t rattle the speakers like Braun’s, but it did rattle the monster’s resolve. Balor took the match up the next step. And he kept climbing, pushing Braun to his limits right up to climbing to the top of the steel cage. Braun was below and swaying. The last thing he saw was the demon flying through the air with a coup de grace.

A three count later, Balor climbed the structure again. He stood at the corner and held his retained title for all the universe to see.

***

***

Monday Night Raw – September 17, 2018 – Dallas, TX

“You did a really good job, Y/N.”

Kurt Angle’s praise makes you want to smile, but the way he’s looking at you chills you. “Thank you, sir. But I’m not one hundred percent sure why you called me in here. You’re back.”

He nodded. “True. But there’re a few things from last week I’m unaware of due to the meeting. I was hoping you could fill me in as things come to mind.” He calmly stopped you from speaking with a smile. “Tonight, you are just a journalist.”

That was a relief.

“Now, about Braun Strowman…”

***

The crowd roared as Finn Balor’s music took over the arena. His grin was bright enough to light the stage, and the Universal title’s gleam was blinding. He walked into the ring and grabbed a mic.

“Well… last night was excitin’.” He laughed. “Once again, the Demon defeated the monster among men. As I proved last night, t’at will always be the case. But I did not come out here to gloat. Well… maybe a little.” Finn stopped as a ‘Demon King’ chant started. “I came out here to make a promise. For too long this title was kept from you all. An’ I have to admit, my first several weeks with it back, I haven’t shared it wit’ ya as often as I’d liked.”

Finn’s voice sank dark and cold.

“Know t’is: what I’m about to say it not just a t’reat. It’sa promise. To anyone who tries to take this away from me.” He rested a hand on the top of the belt. “I will not give it up as easily as last time. Broken or not, the Universal title belongs to the WWE universe, and it belongs right here. Around ma waist. I’ll defend it every week, or as often as there are wanna be champions who will step up to face me. An’ I _will_ break anyone who does step to me.”

He dropped the mic and stepped back to face the stage. Waiting.

Mojo Rawley stepped out onto the stage. He nodded at Finn. “During Braun’s gauntlet match last week, I was the one who almost took him down. As I see it, that makes me next in line to fight for that title.” He tossed the mic aside and rushed to the ring. His field of vision was cut as he slid into the ring, and by the time he made it to his feet, Finn was not standing in the middle. Instead, he waved at Mojo from a top turnbuckle before jumping down and handing the belt to the referee.

Jojo announced the open challenge, and the bell rang.

He did well, especially now that he was fighting someone that didn’t tower over him. Still, Finn was running off the high of a successful title defense. Mojo’s steps stuttered each time Finn laughed, giddy in his existence. A laughter that he routinely cut short with rough hits and desperate punches. But Finn kept going, his well of energy too deep for Mojo to deplete. They fought for a while, though towards the end it seemed as if Finn was toying with him. Mojo was eventually pinned. And the Demon vessel smiled.

***

“Ladies and gentlemen. Elias.”

He strummed the same opening as Sunday night. “Now Elias’s got advice I’ll just keep on givin’, should mean the world to you. Lots of you make-believe they’re livin’, can’t decide which way to walk. Whoa! I understand about indecision, but I don’t care if you get left behind. Your souls needing some reconstruction; walk with Elias and you’ll have your piece of mind. Take a look ahea-“

Elias fell forward into the canvas. The lights went up, revealing the attackers to be Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler. Through Elias’s still working mic, everyone could hear what Dolph was shouting.

“Your reign is over, Elias. Today is the day the music will die.”

He curled in on himself, trying to protect his throat and diaphragm from what was probably going to be a long assault. What he wasn’t expecting, was for Seth Rollins and No Way Jose to come running down to the ring. And while it was interesting, it wasn’t out of character for Jinder Mahal and Akam from Authors of Pain to get involved. Suddenly not the focus anymore, he snagged his title and guitar and crawled to a corner where he could watch the demolition.

Jinder and Dolph went one way over the ropes, Akam and McIntyre were tossed out by Seth and Jose. They stood at the ropes, ready to jump over them if the four of them decided to attack together. It was unlikely since Akam was watching McIntyre glare at him from the corner of his eye. The other two had a large space between them, though Jinder’s focus was on Seth.

“You don’t get to steal an opportunity, Dolph,” Seth shouted. “And adding more guys to your posse is only going to be more trouble down the line for you.”

“We’ll see.” Dolph smirked, leading the group to back their way up the ramp and out of the stadium.

Elias sprung up and tipped Jose over the ropes, then Seth while he was still stunned.

“Thanks for the help. But that’s not how you walk with Elias.”

***

Dean was sitting on a crate, telling Roman a story about Cincinnati when Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews walked up. Dana followed close behind making notes on her clipboard. Titus shook hands with Roman. “How’ve you guys been?” he asked.

“Great.”

“Staying out of trouble,” Dean added, twiddling something that looked like Curt Hawkin’s baton.

“I doubt that. But,” Titus gave them a toothy smile, “I have a proposition for you. Have a match with us tonight. We get some new competition from you guys, and you two get a copy of Dana’s analysis afterward. Sound cool?”

The guys did their look, ending it with a mutual nod. Roman answered, “see you in the ring.” He stood statue-still while they walked away; on the other hand, Dean was practically vibrating with excitement.

He got to use it a few minutes later in their match. Dean fought with Apollo first, who quickly tagged in Titus. The height and strength difference did not perturb him. He only got out of the ring when Roman tagged himself in for his turn. Dean watched as Roman tossed Titus around after a series of exchanged headlocks. He couldn’t help but flinch when Apollo came back in and gained the upper hand with his acrobatics. The World-Wide member backed off as Dean stole a tag, then scrambled into the ring. He kept letting Apollo get just close enough to the corner to be inches away from Titus’s reach, then pulling him back to the center. A Dirty Deeds finished the matter.

Titus and Apollo took it in stride. They met in the center of the ring and exchanged handshakes. But when they turned to leave, neither Roman nor Dean let go.

Dean tugged Apollo closer. “This is going to be fun,” he whispered. While he slammed Apollo back to the mat, Roman threw Titus into a corner and kicked at his stomach. They continued their attack until neither man was standing. They left the ring after bumping fists.

***

The guys laughed as they came up the hallway. Kurt stepped into their path with a flustered huff. “What was that?”

Dean and Roman shared a look. “What was what?” Dean asked. “We won the match.”

“And then you attacked your already defeated opponents.”

“A statement,” Roman rumbled. When Kurt shot him an incredulous look, he rolled his eyes. “The tag team division is weak. Dean and I want to try our hand at improving it.” He smiled at Dean, who agreed.

“I think we did pretty well for them asking last minute.”

Kurt did not agree. “What you did was uncalled for. There are going to be repercussions.” He waved away their defenses. “No. You two cannot become another tag team. We have too many of those already.”

“And you don’t use the ones you’ve got.” Roman patted back towards Dean’s chest. “Where I and my bother go, excellence follows. The tag teams aren’t good because nobody is focused on them. They’ve got a fourth of the titles but all that anyone sees are the women’s, the Intercontinental, and the Universal. Let Dean and I be a team. We’ll bring the focus. We’ll put them to the test. We’ll-“

“It’s out of my hands,” Kurt grumbled.

“How can it be out of your hands?” “You’re the general manager.”

“The answer is no.” He pushed through them, ignoring the way Roman glared and how Dean growled.

***

For the main event, Natalya had the ring draped in her family colors and her new title sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the ring.

“I did it,” was all she needed to say. Rhonda watched quietly from a corner. She sent Natalya and encouraging nod to continue with what she wanted to say. “It’s been a long road. Fighting old enemies. Fighting new ones. And fighting friends to get to this spot. I hope that I can prove to you that it was all worth it.”

“Don’t go celebrating yet.” Nia’s voice was followed by her entrance music, and then by her walking out onto the stage in her gear. “It’s not completely yours until you know I can’t get it back. And I still have my rematch clause.” She stopped at the top of the ramp. “But you knew that. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in your gear.”

Natalya nodded. “Figured. Cleared it with Angle earlier too.”

“Are you done with your speech? Or can it wait until after I take my title back?”

She bit back certain choice words. “Just one more thing. I wanted to thank you for the opportunity. Not just for the title, but also to kick Ruby Riott’s teeth in… and to make you tap like the easily replaceable champion you were.”

“Replaceable?” Nia scoffed. “Just ask your friend Rhonda if it’s easy to replace me.” She sent her a sticky sweet smile. “But really, I am glad for you Natty. But right now, it’s time for reality. Let’s finish this.”

A ref was called. What happened was the one-on-one match that Natalya had hoped for. She was able to completely focus on Nia. And Nia was more than happy to give her all the attention back. Rhonda stayed on the floor and out of the way, only moving to check on her friend when she was tossed out of the ring.

A flash of red and black hit Rhonda from the back. Natalya missed seeing it, but Nia did and pushed the champion out of the way to see if it was who she thought.

Ruby Riott peeked into view with a wicked smile.

Nia took a step to deal with her, but Natalya grabbed her from behind and rolled her up to retain her title. It wasn’t until after the count that she heard the trio of laughter. Rhonda crawled into the ring, bringing the title with her. The Riott Squad circled back around to the ramp.

“I didn’t care who was going to win,” the leader said. “I just wanted to ruin someone’s night. And stake my claim on the number one contender’s spot.” Ruby left with a laugh and a final wink, the Squad on either side.

***

Charlie rushed up to catch Dean and Roman before the show ended. “Sorry, we can’t find Y/N. Would you mind telling us why you attacked Titus and Apollo after your match tonight?”

They were about to answer when they heard shouting. Turning to look over their shoulders, they saw you and Kurt.

“You can’t do that!” you shouted at him.

“I can, Y/N. That’s just how it’s gonna have to be.” He looked above you and around, spotting your cousin and his best friend. He sighed as you kept him from walking away.

“No. You may have the power, but you know it isn’t right. Don’t do this.”

Gently, Kurt moved your hands. “Have a good rest of your week. I’ll see you next Monday.” He motioned to the guys. “Dean, Roman, may I have a word?” They followed him into the next corridor. You watched him go, trying to catch your breath. Flustered, you breezed past Charlie without even a goodbye.


	20. Handling It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It looks like the Reader has no way out when a role change is placed before her. If she accepts, everything will change; if she doesn’t… everything will still change, but possibly for the worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to what happened this week in my personal life, some of this is kind of rushed. Everything that needs to be said is said. Plot happens = mission accomplished. Any feedback is super appreciated. Enjoy!

Monday Night Raw – September 24, 2018 – Denver, CO

Kurt Angle waved away the “you suck” chants before they had much time to get started. “You’re probably going to mean those words here in a minute,” he joked, not smiling. “I need to address my absence from the past several weeks.”

He had to stop as Stephanie McMahon’s music cut through his next words. She didn’t say a thing, just joined him in the ring and stood in one corner.

After a deep breath, he continued. “As of the end of the show tonight, I will no longer be the manager of Raw.”

Again, Kurt had to wait for the audience to calm down before he could speak. “Over the past several weeks, certain steps have been taken, ones that I’m sure a few of you could read. Both Stephanie and I put our top choices for my replacement to the test by giving them weeks to run Raw. Since things went well, it is now time for me to step down, and for others to step up.”

Stephanie walked up to stand by him. “We all want to thank you for your time with us. While we have not always agreed, I wanted to thank you personally for all your sacrifices as well.” She shook his hand, ignoring how he didn’t seem to believe her words. “Now for the two to step up. And those co-managers are Baron Corbin and Y/N Ambrose.”

Baron went out first. He smirked from ear to ear, dressed to the nines in a nicer vest than usual and his signature expensive watch on his wrist.

You, on the other hand, were terrified. The announcement had come as a shock to you. Like you were the last one to know. The past several weeks had been so busy, there hadn’t been time to even think about this outcome. Just sparks of wondering. Your fears had just been justified last week. There wasn’t a way to disagree, not that Kurt had listened.

Baron grabbed your hand and shook it. “This is going to be interesting,” he muttered to you.

That it was.

***

Drew McIntyre and Rezar of the Authors of Pain had the first tournament match for the Intercontinental Championship. They had not gotten along last week, and that continued into the match. Drew had to admit, though, Rezar was powerful. And Rezar noted how Drew could move faster than he looked.

In the back, Akam and Drake Maverick watched the match on a screen. They flinched as their teammate was tossed around in ways none of them could have foreseen. Also, they cheered Rezar on when he successfully threw Drew out of the ring or flipped him onto the canvas. Things were going well.

A Claymore Kick ended the match. 

The win and the adrenaline hit Drew hard. He went as far as placed one boot on Rezar’s chest as the ref held his arm up by the elbow. “You are nothing without your tag partner,” he called down. He repeated it as his opponent rolled to the outside of the ring.

“At least I tried to bring something to the group,” Rezar shot back. “Anything you do is credited to Dolph. He’s nothing without you, and he’s holding you back. How long are you going to let him?”

That stopped Drew cold. His hands tightened around the top rope, then loosened as he thought over those statements. Rezar was the one who left with the smile, while Drew seemed to be one concerned about the future.

***

It had taken some time, but you finally caught up with Kurt. He saw you and turned, as if trying to pretend he was busy and hadn’t seen you.

“Mr. Angle, we need to talk.” You kept the growl out of your voice, but just barely. “Why didn’t you tell me you were scouting me for general manager at the beginning? I could have prepared better, arranged matches differently-“

“You are more than qualified for this.”

“Three weeks and a PPV? I’m am incredibly underqualified!”

He looked away while you dug your fingernails into your palm. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to think like other managers. If you had… I was afraid you would fall into the same mistakes instead of being you.” It was a weak argument and he knew it. He wouldn’t look you in the eyes; his hands rustled in his pockets. “When I told you last week, I had hoped the announcement this week would have been less of a shock.”

Now you did growl. “You said it like I had a few more weeks to learn the ropes. Possibly with you right there instead of dropping me into the deep end of the pool.”

“Is there a problem here?” Stephanie walked up behind Kurt.

You slid into a more neutral face. “No. The situation has been set and it’s unlikely to change.”

She glanced at Kurt then put on her sticky sweet smile. “You know, Y/N, you don’t have to accept the appointment. If you want to remain a journalist with us, you can. It’s your choice. Baron-“

“Baron Corbin will misuse his power the second he gets it. I don’t know why you picked him.”

“Y/N, sweetheart-“

“Since when do you call me sweetheart?”

Stephanie sputtered and gestured while she thought of something. “Today, I guess. Really, Y/N, I’m hurt that you don’t trust me.”

You snorted. “Ms. Stephanie, I doubt a sledgehammer to the kneecaps could hurt you. You are made of cold, unrelenting steel.” 

“Thank you?” She shot a look at Kurt, who was doing his best to hide a smirk. “Now I know why he chose you. You’re not afraid to say what you mean. And that’s something that can be rare around here.”

At your sides, your hands twitched in and out of fists. “Maybe if it wasn’t so rare there would be less problems.” You held up your hand before either of them could speak. “I’m going to think about it. Don’t set anything in stone just yet. As for my ‘choice?’ No, I don’t have one; not really. Not if the only other leadership Raw is going to have is Corbin.” You turned on your heel and walked back the way you came, bumping shoulders with Dean and Roman.

Stephanie saw them coming and whispered to Kurt, “If she accepts, I hope she can handle the job. It would be a waste of time and money to have to replace her too.” She left quickly, leaving Kurt alone to deal with them. But he was ready more for some deep thinking than to assign matches.

Dean paused and looked back the way you went. He tapped Roman’s shoulder and left to find you.

Roman continued with their plan. “Kurt, we need to talk.”

“I’m not going to miss that,” he muttered under his breath. “What can I do for you Roman?”

“Dean and I still want a chance in the tag teams. We are very much aware of what’s going on-“

“Done. Heath and Rhino will meet you guys in the ring.” He sighed. “And you’re right. There’s a lot going on. But things can still move smoothly. If we try hard enough. Anything else?”

Roman shook his head at first, then huffed. “You should have told Y/N up front what filling in for you meant. She’s had enough surprises in life.”

“But do you think she’ll accept?”

“If the only option is Baron? Yeah, she’ll take the job. Because she cares about what happens around here. Something I thought you did too.”

***

The tag match was considered the most fun match of the night. Dean squaring against Heath Slater had the audience rolling. Roman against Rhyno had them reminiscing about the veteran’s ECW days. And the flurry of tag shifts kept the match moving quickly.

Then the mood shifted.

Dean and Roman were done having fun. They had requested the match so they could win. So they could make their new mark on the Raw tag team division. They switched focuses. Dean was fast and thought outside the box. And he knew how to out-maneuver Rhyno’s usual barreling through opponents. Roman had the size and power advantage on Heath. The father was the one to eat the pin, unable to be saved by his partner as Dean tripped him.

The two members of the Shield had another tag win under their belts. They butted heads and left the other men sprawled out on the canvas.

***

Natalya came out to the ring next. She was wearing the belt around her waist and stroked her personalized plates proudly. At the same time, she kept her hand on it possessively.

“Hello, Denver!” She smiled brightly at the welcome. “Well, I’m still the champion.” With a laugh, she did a little spin to show off the title to the whole arena. “And as such, I rule the women’s division here on Raw. So, I have come up with a challenge for my fellow women to determine who will face me at TLC. But I don’t want to face just one woman. No, no, no. I earned this title by beating two other women. What’s one more? At TLC, as backed up by the new management, there will be a fatal four-way for the Raw Women’s Championship.”

With a bit of show, she pulled out a list from a pocket inside her jacket. “Starting tonight, and each week going towards TLC, there will be a match to determine a member for the fatal four-way. I came up with the brackets myself, with a little bit of help from Y/N. Tonight, it is going to be Ember Moon versus my training partner and friend, Rhonda Rousey.” She paused and waited for the crowd’s reaction to die down a bit. “And for the other weeks… I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

She left the ring, waving the list around and flashing it to young fans. One little girl caught a good look and squealed in delight.

***

Dean rounded a corner and almost ran down the hallway, but he skidded to a stop just past your hiding place. There were always so many crates, and often they were stacked up high. Easy for someone to curl up into an alcove and think.

“Hey, ladybug. Been lookin’ for you all night.”

“Why?” Your voice bit into the air a little harder than you meant, but you were too stressed to care. Much. “I figured you and Roman would leave after your match.”

He nodded. “Roman and Seth are packing the car. It always takes forever to load up Seth’s stuff. I wanted to check on you. See if you were alright.” He made you scoot over so he could half sit on the crate too. “Are you alright?”

No.

“No. I’m not. I can’t do this Dean.” You curled your knees to your chest. “There’s too much going on. My brain can’t keep up with it all. All the paperwork and setting the matches. Making sure nobody beats each other up beforehand. But I don’t want to let anyone down.”

“You’re not. Trust me.” He sighed and grinned at you. “You got here all on your own. If I had known you were comin’ I would have helped. Knowin’ you, you probably would have told me to buzz off.”

He was straying from the point. “But Baron-“

“We can handle him if he gets too big for his boots. Don’t worry about us.” He paused and watched you bite your lip, holding back another thought. “Come on, if we’re doing the mushy stuff, get it all out now. What else is there?”

You thought back to how you left earlier, thinking about turning around when you overheard Stephanie. “Stephanie McMahon doesn’t think I’m going to be able to handle all this. She thinks I’m going to be a waste of time and money-“

“You can never be a waste of money,” Dean rushed. “You can waste someone’s time, you can waste their energy. But money is just money. People with it can get more, and people without it find a way to survive. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re a waste of funds. If that gets in your head, it will eat away at your soul until it kills your dream. You are not a waste of money.” His voice dropped to a hum and he knocked his head against yours. “You are never a waste.”

While you had known all of that already, it felt good to hear it. Especially from Dean. He followed you as you hopped off the crate, chuckling when you pulled him in for a hug. “I missed you calling me ladybug.”

Dean puffed. “I have too.” He gave your back a hard pat. “Okay, are we done with the mushy stuff?”

You laughed and pushed him away. “Yeah. We’re done. I’ll see you later. I’ve got to talk to Kurt.”

***

“Finn! Finn Balor!” Kevin Owens had taken over the ring, much to Natalya’s chagrin. He was pacing the ring, somewhere between anger and opportunistic.

Finn obliged. He came out onto the stage in a jacket that amplified how bright the Universal title was around his waist. “What do you want Kevin?” He continued down to the ring, making Kevin back up to the far ropes.

“I want to challenge you for my Universal Championship.”

“You… your’s?” Finn laughed. “Since when was t’is ever yours?”

Kevin sniggered. “Oh, don’t you remember? I beat everybody else after you had to give it up.”

“Ah, yes. Sorry. It must ‘ave slipped my mind. Second place never gets remembered.” He continued to grin while Kevin nodded in agreement.

“True. You’re right. Why would anyone want to remember how easy it was to replace you?”

Finn’s smile faded away. His head angled down towards his chest, creating a dark shadow over his eyes. “And you’re challenging me for tonight? I’m game. We can do this right now.” He moved to shed his jacket, but Kevin stopped him.

“No, no,” he squeaked, “not tonight. I want the great match I was robbed of last time.” The longer he spoke, the braver he became. “I want to take the Universal from you personally, instead of through a bunch of other contenders. The reason why it was taken from me so soon was because the line of succession had been interrupted. You… you didn’t get to fight me for it. This time you will. In Australia. Should you think you can handle it.” He dropped his mic and rolled out of the ring. Finn watched him intently, making him walk faster.

“Is t’at so?” Finn said, tapping his chin. “Then I will see you in Australia. In one form or another.” Finn laughed as Kevin gulped and hurried out of the arena.

***

Natalya gave Finn a little wave on his way out of the ring. “Now that’s over, it’s time for the first round of contenders for the Raw Women’s Championship.” She lowered her mic as Rhonda Rousey’s music played. Once she had made it to the ring, they both waited for Ember’s music.

But it never came.

Instead, the Riott Squad’s music took over the system. Ruby Riott strutted out, flanked by Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan. “Oh, Natty, Natty, Natty. I’m sorry that I have to break the news, but little Ember can’t make it to the ring.” Her pseudo-guilt slipped away into a mocking sneer that her companions joined in on. “Now, I know you told me earlier who I’m going to face in this… tournament. But that’s not fair to the other members of the Riott Squad who are also here every week.” Liv and Sarah walked around to stand in front of Ruby. They turned to face one another, then suddenly played a round of rock-paper-scissors. Liv won, high-fived the other two women, and strutted down to the ring.

Natalya was about to argue, but Rhonda tapped her arm. “I got this,” she mouthed. Natalya left with a shrug and a rough shoulder bump against Liv. Then the bell rang.

Liv knew every tricky move in the book. She was quick and zipped around the ring faster than Rhonda could keep up with. The mouse was playing with the cat. She knew if she got caught, the match would be over and her chance would be squandered. Liv hadn’t thought enough ahead about what she would do if she had to eventually fight Ruby. That wasn’t going to be an issue. Rhonda finally caught her and slammed her into the canvas, stopping her momentum. Once she was incapacitated, it was easy to put her in an armbar. An armbar that Liv fought against for a long while, but had to give up as she was far away from any of the ropes.

Rhonda was going to TLC. Once again, she was going to have to face her friend for a chance to leave her mark on the WWE Women’s Division.


	21. Your Catastrophe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the first week as an official co-manager of Raw with Baron Corbin. That would be fine… if he wasn’t rewriting everything the Reader had planned for the show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, super rushed, sorry. This week has been hard, but I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things over the next couple of days. And I am super excited for what I’ve got in store for TLC. If WWE doesn’t put it out there first. Which is seriously my biggest fear right now since what I’ve been writing (and planned months ago; i.e. Drew’s test of loyalties last week) has been so close to what has been actually happening on the show. Keep your fingers crossed that I can keep giving you guys unique content. Happy reading! Any and all feedback super appreciated!

Monday Night Raw – October 1, 2018 – Seattle, WA

No Way Jose’s peppy music started the night. He danced out with his conga line in tow, ready for his chance at participating in the TLC Intercontinental Championship fatal-four-way. He made his way around the ring and then danced in the center of it. Just as he finished, there was a record scratch followed by a bit of silence. Jose grinned as the stage lit up with Dolph Ziggler’s pink and star-studded entrance. Dolph came out, flanked by Drew McIntyre. They gave each other a fist bump before the Scottish Psychopath left, rushing to leave before the conga line could catch up with him.

The match was fast paced. Dolph’s speed and Jose’s sense of rhythm made for some interesting combinations of attacks and reversals. The longer it went on, the more Dolph became agitated. So much so, that he eventually went for a steel chair.

He swung it wildly while the referee stayed between him and Jose. The ref bounced off the canvas as Dolph shoved him to one side. As the chair descended onto Jose’s shoulders and back, the bell rang for the disqualification. He continued the assault until Jose stopped moving, whether from true injury or the illusion of one to end the fight. Dolph dropped the chair in one corner and froze. With a growl, he realized what he had just thrown away.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Baron Corbin walked out onto the stage. “Considering the circumstances, this match is still not finished.” Jose’s head wearily popped up. “It is going to start with a no disqualification stipulation. Ref, if you would.” He waited for the signal and the bell, then smiled.

Jose wobbled to his feet. Dolph picked the chair up again and swung. The first one was easily avoided, the second one not so much as Jose was too slow in seeing the chair approaching his stomach. He bent forward, then arched to stretch out the pain. Dolph used the stretch to use a Zig-Zag, winning the match.

***

Baron walked backstage and nearly ran into you. “What was that?” you demanded. “There was no call for that. Dolph cheated and that should have been it.”

He moved to push by you, but you stood in the way. He sighed. “You need to leave your personal vendetta against Dolph out of this. It’s up to us to make fair decisions and to reopen opportunities when they’ve been cut short.”

“Fair? It what you did had been fair, all of the matches would be no DQ.”

“That’s a great idea.” He heavily dropped his hand onto your shoulder, ignoring how you immediately pushed it away. “I’m glad you thought of it. I’ll make sure those rules are in place for Seth Rollin’s match against Jinder Mahal next week.” He turned with a short laugh.

“What? No, Corbin!” You had to fight not to stomp your foot like a child. No matter how much his retreating form irritated you.

***

There was another round planned for a spot in the women’s number one contender’s match at TLC. Natalya had left it up to you to make sure the right people made it to the match. It wasn’t hard considering Ruby Riott had already been planned to fight Nia Jax. What seemed to always be out of your reach was the Riott Squad’s ability to slip past security and make it to ringside.

Nia wasn’t worried. She wanted her title back and she was going to get it, no matter how many women she had to cut through. In no time at all, she had the upper hand and Ruby had retreated to a corner to whisper with her friends. Nia grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back into the center of the ring. Out of sight, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan circled the ring. The ref was too busy making sure Nia let go of Ruby’s hair to notice as they crept onto the apron.

With a series of kicks, Ruby was able to get away and cry foul enough to hoard the ref’s attention. The Squad attacked. Once Nia was incapacitated enough, Ruby’s injured magically healed and she as able to surge back into the fray. A three-count later, Ruby Riott was officially another member of the TLC fatal-four-way. Only two more matches to go.

***

Backstage, You followed the sound of their cackling and blocked their path before they could flip the clipboard of a techie. “That was low, even for you.” You ignored Baron’s heavy footsteps coming to a stop behind you. “And I didn’t think you would want an outcome like this. You’re a great wrestler Ruby, but we can’t see your full potential if you keep letting your Squad intervene.”

Ruby shared a look with her girls and smiled with a shrug. “What’s done is done. Unless tonight is going to be a night of do-overs. Even then, I’d still win.” She cocked her head. “And my potential is just fine, for those who know where to look. It’s a simple preservation of energy. Squad or no squad, tonight proves I could have beaten Nia for the title.”

Baron sniggered, “I have to agree.”

“Shut up,” you hissed, glancing over your shoulder.

He mocked motioned that he was hurt. “That’s no way to talk to your co-manager.”

“If my co-manager keeps acting like this,” you said, gritting your teeth, “he’s going to mysteriously go missing.” The Riott Squad gasped and huddled together as if watching a drama, minus the popcorn.

“Are you threat-“

“Ruby,” you said, turning your back on Baron, “I am going to let you stay in the fatal-four-way. Not because I think you earned it, but because I know that your actions are going to come full circle, with or without my interceding. Congratulations on your win tonight.”

The Riott Squad left in a chorus of giggles, obviously not perturbed by what you said.

***

Later that night, Dean and Roman had a tag match against the Ascension. All four of them were focused on their opposing forces. Roman was constantly cheering Dean on, and Dean was bouncing around the ring in a moody way. While his moves were just a powerful as normal, they were sloppy. Like he had something else on his mind. Roman didn’t seem to care, if he noticed at all. Dean was back and they had a match, and he was going to watch his back.

Viktor was suited to fight Dean. His lithe form made sure the movements were quick and surprising. Konnor was more suited to fight Roman. While they were not the same height, nor did they have the same strength, Konnor kept Roman on his toes. Both teams were made of battle brothers, willing to do anything for each other. Apparently, for the Ascension, that meant involving outside help. The sudden appearance of Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh at ringside told the Universe that the Ascension was not going to be another squash match for the two Shield brothers.

Seth ran down to the ring, preventing Jinder from getting involved and catching Dean as Viktor threw him out of the ring. They had untangled themselves just in time to see the Ascension double-team Roman and win the pin.

The Shield took over the ring, but the damage had been done.

***

During the commercial break, Baron had made a match for the Superstar Show-Down. The battle lines drawn during the match were going to stand, including what you considered to be a strange an unnecessary alliance between Jinder and the Ascension.

This time, you were the one following Baron. And you weren’t going to mince words. “A good GM would make it a rematch just between Dean, Roman, and the Ascension. And leaving Jinder out of it.”

Baron didn’t look up from his notes. “Well, that shows how much of a terrible GM you’re going to be. That’s not how things are done around here. Especially now that I’m going to be making the majority of the matches.” He handed you the stack of papers and tapped them as if you were a secretary being given another task. Then he was gone. Again. And you were angry. Again.

You almost punched the person who tapped your shoulder. At the last second, you realized it was Mojo Rawley. “Mr. Rawley,” you puffed, relaxing yourself, “what can I do for you?”

He shuffled on his feet a little before answering. “I want a rematch with Finn Balor. It doesn’t have to be for the Universal tonight, but if I win I want to be declared the number one contender, and then get to face him in Australia.”

“I don’t know, Mojo-“

“I’ve already challenged him and he accepts as long as you clear the match.”

Compared with the rest of the night, this was probably going to be the only thing that went to plan. “Okay. You’ve got your match. Head towards Gorilla and I’ll tell Finn. Have fun.”

***

Mojo got his rematch. Well, most of it.

Kevin Owens had decided that he was not finished with Finn either. He too appeared at ringside and attempted to distract the Universal Champion. But his plan did not go as well as others had that night. Instead of giving Mojo and opening to win his contender spot, Mojo was too busy yelling at Kevin to go away. He turned around when Kevin shifted his gaze to behind him and rushed head-first into a harsh slingblade that wiped him out. Kevin watched with his hands on his head as Finn climbed to the top of the turnbuckles, then crashed down with a coup de grace.

It was a win. But not one that Finn considered wholly honorable. He helped Mojo to his feet and whispered, “you’ll get yar real re-match. Jus’ let me deal with ‘im first, yeah?” They shared a look, then slowly turned their attention to Kevin.

He nervously looked between them. To save face he began muttering about mind games. “You’re not going to always see me coming, Balor. I can promise you that.”

Finn grinned. “If ya say so. But I’ll see ya in Australia.”

Kevin made a hasty retreat while you set the match backstage.

***

He found you texting in the office and plopped down on the only chair in the room. “I think tonight went well.”

You grumbled, “I can’t say that I agree.” When Baron shrugged his shoulders, you let a tiny wave of anger rule you. “There was interference in every single match!”

“Not the first one-“

“You interfered in that one.”

“Oh, come on.” He stood. “You’re not still mad about-“

“Yes. Yes, I am.” You stepped away from him. “You know, the show would run a whole lot smoother if you would just stay out of my way.”

“You didn’t even want this job!”

“And yet here I am, cleaning up your catastrophe.” You were half a second away from finding a chair to stand on so you could glare at him properly when your phone rang.

Baron grinned as he saw who it was from. “Have fun explaining _your_ catastrophe to Stephanie.” He continued to chuckle as you left the room.


	22. A Turn of Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Australia, the Shield fights for their right to branch out, and Finn makes Kevin pay for his interference earlier in the week. On Monday, Y/N worries about the attendance of Stephanie McMahon and if her new role is already at an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I looked over “Long Time No See” and had to laugh. There were only four plot points to hit in that chapter. This one has nine, but a bunch of detail points. And it was barely over 1000 words. I am so sorry, babes. This has gotten so exciting and complicated and I hope it is keeping you entertained. Please let me know if it is. Enjoy!

Super Show-Down – October 6, 2018 – Melbourne, Australia

Australia’s pay-per-view was defined by its vengeance matches. From AJ Style’s bitter match against Samoa Joe, to the Undertaker versus Triple H for the ‘last time’, the fights were for more than the usual glory. There was more at stake. Honor. Legacy. And revenge.

The Shield’s match fell into this third category.

While the aesthetics of their styles didn’t match, the rage-set faces as the Shield entered were the same. Jinder Mahal towered over his teammates, Konnor and Viktor of the Ascension. They lined up across the ring to stand a mere half-meter away from Roman, Dean, and Seth. The referee desperately kept himself between them, impatiently waiting for the bell.

Jinder stayed in the ring. Since he was due to fight Seth on Monday, Roman and Dean kept their brother out of the ring and Roman stepped up. The following bout was similar to their previous collisions, but Roman had more to achieve this time. The more he did to Jinder tonight, the less his brother had to deal within a few days. Jinder eventually escaped this and tagged in Konnor.

Then it was Dean’s turn to step up. He met the man muscle for muscle and growl for growl. He got trapped in their corner where the Ascention took turns tagging in each other and attacking Dean until he was a huddled mass in the corner. Viktor pulled him to his feet and was going to do more, but Dean shoved him to the center of the ring and took the upper hand. It was a terrible mirroring of actions as then the whole Shield took turns stomping and breaking Viktor down.

The exchanges and tag continued, bringing the match to the inevitable. Seth had to face Jinder with more than that night on the line. They gave the crowd a preview of their match a few days away, minus the no disqualification stipulation. A stipulation Seth was more than ready for, but nearly cost him the match. Jinder laughed. He was more than happy to be a punching bag in Australia if Seth was going to exhaust himself.

In the end, it didn’t come down to them. Dean tagged himself in and Jinder tagged in Konnor. The Lunatic Fringe jumped from their corner onto his opponent’s entrance into the ring and quickly brought the match to a close.

***

When Finn Balor’s music hit, Kevin Owens began to doubt himself. Maybe he should have let Mojo Rawley win, or at least do more against Finn himself. Then he could have challenged a weakened version of either instead of heading into what was sure to be a torturous affair. The title wasn’t even on the line. It was a payback match.

He wasn’t far off. Finn was determined to make Kevin pay for interfering. He wasn’t mad on behalf of Mojo’s chance; he was more pissed off of receiving an easy win due to Kevin’s meddling. With a roar, he made the first attack. Kevin could barely turn around in the ring without getting hit or sling bladed or drop kicked. And if he did catch Finn, a uranage quickly had him rolling for the ropes.

On the floor, Kevin caught his breath. Then he caught Finn’s boot before it could collide with his face. Out of muscle memory, he swept Finn’s legs out from under him and sent him crashing onto the apron, and then to the floor. He stared down in shock. Then grabbed Finn around the neck and tossed him into the ring. He couldn’t pause. Wouldn’t stop moving. If keeping Finn off his feet was his only plan, Kevin was going to do that with everything he had.

Two. Two and a half. Two and three-quarters. Kevin’s actions were wearing down the Universal champion. For a second, he considered what it would mean if he won the match.

A mistake.

Fin took the split of Kevin’s focus and won back the upper hand. A few minutes later, Kevin was pinned for the count and then glaring at him from the floor. Finn just held his title high and grinned.

***

***

Monday Night Raw – October 8, 2018 – Rosemont, IL

At the beginning of the show, Dean bumped into you struggling to tape your hands. You had found a punching bag that the roster sometimes used to get pumped up. At the moment, you wanted to use it to evade the fear crouching up.

“Need some help?” he asked. Without really waiting for an answer, he took your hand and the tape and started to wrap it properly. Occasionally he glanced up at your face. You were looking to one side of his actions. “What’s on your mind?”

“So many things,” you whispered.

Dean dropped your hand and tapped your shoulder for the other one. “Spill. You can’t hit anything yet, so you might as well tell me.”

“Stephanie’s here tonight,” you let slip. He grunted, not surprised. “When she called last week, I thought she was going to fire me. Now I’m afraid she’s going to do it in person. And maybe in front of the whole WWE Universe.”

Dropping your other hand, Dean moved to stand behind the punching bag. “Keep going.”

You weakly punched the bag. “I know I said I didn’t want this job,” you paused to hit the bag again, “but now that I’m in it… I like it.” While you let your thoughts flow out, you alternated left and right punches, punctuated with the occasional kick. “Making the matches. Wondering how the titles are going to change hands. The uncertainty doesn’t frighten me as much as I thought it would. I like the ‘what if.’” You stopped and leaned against the wall. “Is that weird? To change my mind like that?”

“Nope. Come on, keep working on your combinations.”

With a sigh that barely hid a smirk, you turned back to the bag. “But now Stephanie is here and she’s going to take that away. Or at least I think she is.”

Dean nodded. “That’s how she works. Make’s you think the worst, then drops something totally different on you. I may not like her methods, but she’s not stupid. She knows who’s actually running Raw.”

Panting, you stopped. “I hope you’re right.” With a smile, you looked down at your hands. “Thanks for taping me up.”

“Anytime, Ladybug. Anytime.”

***

Kevin had taken over the ring. He was smugly looking over the crowd, mic at his side, planning his next words carefully. The crowd stopped booing him just enough to hear what he had to say.

“I almost beat Finn Balor in Australia. You can’t deny it. Finn can’t deny it. Those last counts I had over him were milliseconds away from finished. If the ref had done his job and counted at the right speed, I would probably be number one contender for the Universal right now.” The crowd restarted their disagreement. He talked over them. “But, I’m going to overlook that. Finn Balor has shown himself to be a… fair wrestler. Even if he gives way to demonic possession to ensure a win, he knows talent when he sees it.”

The stage was taken over by black and silver light. Finn walked out and cocked his head at Kevin. “You’re right, I know talent when I see it. But what I don’t see, is why you’re out here, Kevin. We’ve had our match. And I beat you.”

“Just barely. By milliseconds.”

“But I still beat you,” Finn smirked.

Kevin sputtered. “I get it. You’re still tired from our match. I’m no spring daisy either, but we are not done. Think about it, Finn. TLC is just a few weeks away. You want to give the WWE Universe what it wants. You want to impress them, make them happy. I may not agree why you even bother, but I think we could put on the match that could have happened two years ago if you had been able to stay after Summer Slam.”

Finn licked his lips, intrigued. “You think we still would have collided at TLC… in 2016?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kevin knew he had him.

“And you think you could have beaten the Demon back then and won the Universal Champion. You’ve used this argument before, Kevin. But,” he rubbed at his chin, “I have to admit you’ve framed it in a new way. I kinda want to see it. The only problem is… I originally planned to have that rematch with Mojo tonight.”

He would have said more, but Mojo rushed out within a few seconds of his music playing. “No. No. Kevin, stay out of this. You’ve had your chance. Lost it. Now move over. It’s my game now. Finn, we had a bargain.” He moved forward and grabbed Finn by the lapels of his jacket.

Out of breath from running from the back of the arena, you rushed out onto the stage to separate them. “Wait, wait, wait.” The two men backed away; Finn frowned at your taped hand on his chest. You quickly removed it and thought quick. “How about this: tonight, Mojo you face Kevin Owens in a number one contender’s match. If you win, you face Finn for that rematch next week. If you lose, you have to wait until TLC to try for the title. And it’ll be a true TLC match with tables, ladders, and chairs. Mr. Owens, that works for you too. A title shot next week, or at TLC like you were asking. The only downside to this is either way, Finn, you would be defending your title just a few days apart.”

Finn chuckled. “I’m a fightin’ champion. It’s part of the business.”

“Okay then.” You let out the breath you’d been holding. “So, it’s settled? Let me call a ref.”

***

A commercial break later, Mojo and Kevin were duking it out. Either way, they were going to win an opportunity. At first, you were afraid that it would be short because all Mojo had to do to get what he wanted was win. And Kevin had to lose to go to TLC. But as the match progressed, you figured out that Mojo could be patient for one more week if it meant a pay-per-view match. It was something he had not had in a while.

It was a strange, calculated match. Had you had more time to think, maybe the person who won tonight should have gone to TLC. It was too late for that. As a result, Kevin had plenty of time to recover when Mojo pushed his limits already strained by Saturday. Mojo could plan how he was going to hit Kevin next and hit him hard.

Mojo ran out of patience. He wanted the title now, so he upped his attack. Kevin did try to make it out of the pins a few times, but the last one came after a Hyperdrive. He could barely breathe, much less kick out.

Finn nodded backstage while watching Mojo’s hand be raised. He’d be ready for him next week.

***

In compliance with Natalya’s championship tournament schedule, the third match for the fatal four-way spot was between Bayley and Alicia Fox. They were cordial to each other, even bumping each other’s fists before really getting into the match.

Bayley had been toughened by the last several months. She used that to quickly rush Alicia into the ropes. But she had not lost herself, so she backed off before the ref made it too far into the count.

Hesitantly, Alicia detangled herself and stepped back towards the center of the ring. She met Bayley in a lock of strength, overpowering her.

It was back and forth for most of the match. One would gain the upper hand, then would lose control. Alicia’s northern light suplexes matched flip for flip with Bayley to bellies. In the end, Bayley had worked so much damage into Alicia’s ribcage, that Alicia was unable to hold a suplex form and tipped over. The hugger swooped in and won the pin, and her chance for the Raw Women’s Title.

Backstage, Natalya watched the end of the match with Rhonda. Neither seemed worried, though Rhonda took note of how Bayley had changed even since she had arrived to WWE.

***

You walked with hesitant steps towards Stephanie McMahon as she talked with a cluster of techies. “Ms. McMahon?”

With a grin, she waved the group away and turned to you. “You don’t have to be so formal, Y/N.”

“Ms. Stephanie?”

“Less than that.”

“Stephanie.” It felt weird to call your boss by her first name. But you had a mission to get to. “I’m going to cut to it; I think we should bring up the last match for the women’s fatal four-way to tonight.”

Her eyebrows shot up, but her head tilted in consideration. “Why do you say that?”

“As it stands, we have the Universal and the Intercontinental titles being defended at TLC. In a few minutes, there’s going to be a match for the tag team titles, which will probably lead to Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas accepting the challenge at TLC. That leaves just the Raw Women’s Championship. Why not make TLC a full championship set?” You dug your fingernails into your palm as she thought about it.

She nodded but frowned. “I thought the four-way was going to be a ladder match. Is that going to change too?”

“No, I think it should still be a ladder match. If Natalya agrees to let it go for a bit, I think the title hanging above the ring will make it intense and main-event worthy. The universe won’t be robbed, and it will be kind of like practice to whoever wins.” you added. “It is TLC, after all.”

Stephanie nodded again, smiling this time. “You are absolutely right, Y/N.” She patted your shoulder. “Good work.”

When she left, you breathed a sigh of relief.

***

Dean was more than ready for his and Roman’s match. If they won tonight, they’d be the number one contenders for the Raw Tag Team Titles. He paced furiously as he waited for Titus and Apollo Creed to make up their minds who was going to fight first. Who was going to face him. He laughed with Roman as they resorted to a quick rock-paper-scissors decision. Apollo it was. And Dean was ready. He bounced over, immediately reaching up to test Apollo’s grip. Then he swung in for everything he could to get Apollo on his knees and keep him there to wear him down. While he was dragging him to tag with Roman, Apollo escaped and ran to tag in Titus.

No matter. Roman eagerly accepted the tag. He repeatedly took the leader down to the mat, noting how Dana wasn’t there to take notes. None of his business; there was a match to win.

The Shield brothers had it in the bag. Their opponents were getting sluggish in their kick-outs. And tagging each other only seemed to hype them up.

Then Viktor and Konnor came out. They didn’t get in the ring. They stayed outside and distracted the guys while Titus, the legal man, sucked in enough oxygen to pull Dean into the center of the ring behind Roman’s back and pin him. Then he rolled out as fast as he could to escape the livid Ambrose. Apollo met him on the outside, not happy how they had won. Titus promised to discuss it later. They left without looking at the Ascension. Instead, keeping their focus on Dean and Roman in the ring as they took their retribution from their former opponents from Sunday.

***

The final match for the women’s fatal four-way did not end fair either.

You weren’t sure what Natalya had thought was going to happen when she scheduled Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks to fight. Both women were known for giving their all for opportunities. This was no exception. Several times the ref had to physically pull one woman off the other to prevent a disqualification. There was nothing either woman was willing to do to ensure her spot.

Everything came to a head when Mickie got involved. While Alexa was complaining to the ref about an imaginary injury, Mickie climbed up onto the apron. Sasha mocked her saying, “oh, are you two back together again? How sweet.”

“At least I’ve got someone.”

Sasha rushed towards her and was promptly folded over the ropes. She fell back, then fought to stumble to her feet. Knowing Alexa, she would be ready with an attack. Sasha’s focus on where Alexa had been was too low. The ref moved out of the way as Alexa jumped and took Sasha out with a twisted Bliss. Mickie joined her, and they worked together to push Sasha out of the ring. They thought it was over.

Mickie fell forward. Alexa turned just in time to see the Raw Women’s Title rushing towards her face before it made contact. She dropped and curled into a ball next to her partner.

Natalya stood over them. “The pieces have been set,” she said. She walked to the corner of the ring and climbed the ropes. With the bodies of Alexa and Mickie still on the ground behind her, she lifted her title high.

***

For being the main event, the match was short between Jinder and Seth. Just ten minutes into what was supposed to be determining who went to TLC for the Intercontinental, you thought the show was going to end on time for once.

Jinder had over pushed himself on Sunday night. He had been so focused on maiming Seth earlier, he hadn’t taken into account how much that would take out of himself. Then he remembered it was a no disqualification match. Mentally he made a note to thank Baron. He rolled out and grabbed a chair from under the ring. Practice for TLC, he thought.

Seth was not amused. While Jinder tried to reenter the ring with his newly-found weapon, he snatched it out of his hands and tossed it away. He didn’t need it to beat Jinder. He didn’t need a chair to get what he wanted. Instead, he used his quick thinking and movements around the ring. It took Jinder a lot of energy to catch up with him, and he was rarely rewarded with keeping Seth down.

At one point the chair had come back into play. Jinder had it raised and Seth nearly ran into it but ducked at the last second. With a series of blows, he made Jinder drop his weapon. In a few more he had him staggering and in prime position for a blackout. Seth didn’t mind using the chair then since Jinder had fought so hard to include it in the match.

One, two, three. Seth was going to TLC’s ladder match against Elias, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntrye.

***

Stephanie called you to the office. When you arrived, Corbin was standing to one side with a smirk on his face and his arms crossed across his chest. Her words made your heart drop to your shoes.

“What I have to say, is hard.” She gave you a sympathetic look, then turned her attention to Baron. “I never thought I could have been so wrong.”

Baron shook his head. “Wait, what?”

It was Stephanie’s turn to cross her arms. “I chose you because I thought you could live up to the ideals of how my husband and I have run this place. And I thought that since you had been in the business, that would give you the advantage over Kurt’s pick.” She talked over her shoulder at you. “No offense, Y/N. And nothing personal, just manager rivalry.”

“None taken,” you managed.

He sputtered and growled, “what did I do? I did everything I could to give your wrestlers their best chances.”

“Bull.”

You both fought not to gasp in this serious turn of events.

“Last week you did nothing but stir up more trouble for your peers, Y/N and the roster alike. Then this week,” she tsked, “while I was here to make some final decisions, you did nothing while chaos almost broke out at the beginning of the show. Y/N was the one who stopped it. Y/N was the one who made the match between Mojo and Kevin, and it turned out great. Y/N was the one who thought ahead and rearranged the matches so that another title could be defended at TLC. And where were you? In the office texting me hundreds of messages about how much you had done for WWE and the show. I didn’t see a smidgen of evidence of anything you said.”

You found your voice. “So… what are your saying?”

“I’m saying that Baron will not be managing with you next week, or at TLC. And there will be serious consequences if he interferes in your work like he did last week. It’s not final,” she hastily added, silencing Baron, “I want to see what you can do totally on your own knowing that you are being observed. Which was your grievance with last time, I think.”

You fell back to stabilize yourself on a wall. “Yes, ma’am.”

Stephanie fought a grin. “Just Stephanie. I wish you the best of luck, Y/N.” She glared at Baron one more time, then left the room before you could thank her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo…. I just found out today (but the info has been out since July [?]) that TLC has been moved to December where Clash of Champions would usually be. I didn’t know (if I was in creative I would have known, lol) so…
> 
> TLC is going to happen in my series as planned. 
> 
> Please don’t be confused when October has an extra PPV and this year still has Clash of Champions in December. 
> 
> Over and out…


	23. Sunday is Set

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With TLC on Sunday, everybody’s true motives are coming to light. Or at least, that’s the ruse set by others. The final pieces are cast for the most extreme game of chutes and ladders coming in six days.

Monday Night Raw – October 15, 2018 – Philadelphia, PA

In one hand you had a clipboard ready to sign, in the other, you had a coffee that had gone cold. Baron Corbin walked up and caught you at what was probably your most hectic moment all night. He looked about two seconds from growling at you. He put on a more neutral face as Stephanie McMahon strutted up behind him.

“I have complete faith in you, Y/N,” she said. “It’s the last show before TLC, and I have no doubt that everything is going to run smoothly.”

You gulped and looked at Baron. “I have high hopes too.”

She noticed you gaze and gave Baron a heavy pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. If you’re as good as Kurt says you are, we are both going to see a wonderful show tonight. And you don’t have to worry about Baron. He’s going to be learning by my side all night. You won’t need to make a match for him this week.”

“Thank you.” You bit back a half-baked comment about a McMahon being a high-paid babysitter for the night.

Baron stole your coffee on their way out. You chuckled as you heard him sputtering about it down the hall.

***

Finn Balor’s music was probably everybody’s favorite way to start the night.

Mojo was already in the ring, and Kevin Owens soon made his way to the commentary table. “Okay, I am ready to watch Finn retain his title. Or not, if Mojo wants to take his spot and defend it at TLC. Either works for me.”

The challenger and defender met for a quick handshake before doing their best to rip each other apart. The more they gave and took, the more the crowd got into it. And the more it made Kevin nervous.

“I’m not nervous. Stop saying that. I am perfectly happy with Finn using up all his energy tonight so I can take back the Universal Title. Or Mojo. Whichever.”

“But Finn Balor has shown time and time again what he’s willing to do to keep it. Something you’ve been on the receiving end of before.” Michael Cole flinched as Finn dropped kicked Mojo. “You don’t have any fears at all about Sunday?”

Kevin hesitated as Finn climbed to the top turnbuckle and leaped. “Nope. Not at all,” he rasped.

Finn won the pin. He stood with his boot on Mojo’s chest and pointed at Kevin. The Canadian quickly left the arena.

***

Elias sat in the center of the spotlight. He looked grimly at his guitar and hesitated to bring his fingers up to play. “Philly, I can sense there is going to be a change in the winds on Sunday.” He played a few sorrowful chords as the audience booed. “Don’t worry about it too much. I will still be Intercontinental at the end of the night. But… it’s the other three men you should be concerned for.” After a few more chords, he sang.

“One man burned down all he knew. One man has held this gold. One man there will be betrayed. And one man is the last hope of the world.”

There would have been more, but a record scratch kept him from it. Elias readied for an attack. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre calmly walked out onto the stage.

“And what do you mean by that, Elias?” Dolph asked. “I have held that god, yeah. I’ve had it several times. I going to hold it again come Sunday at TLC. At best it’s two versus two, but eventually, Seth is going to reach for his own goals, and then it will be three versus one. Those aren’t odds for you, Elias.”

Drew was not so flippant with the line about him. “What do you mean one man will be betrayed?”

Elias grinned and lowered his guitar from its attack position. “You really think that, come Sunday, that Dolph is going to let you walk over him for this title? Drew… come on. You have been blinded. Probably by that bleached shine off the top of his head. As short as he is compared to you…”

“Get to the point Elias.” Drew cut him off and kept Dolph from interrupting.

“You need to see the truth, Drew. Dolph Ziggler only ever works for himself. If his goals or his plans are threatened, he will dump the cargo to save the ship. And that’s going to include you.”

Dolph surged forward, staggering back as Drew caught his collar. “Shut up. You don’t know everything.”

The musician laughed and focused again on Drew. “When you two are standing on either side of the ladder, which of you is he going to give up? The title, or you?” He smiled and sat back on his stool. He continued to play until Drew left the arena with a growl, Dolph confused and close on his heels.

***

Backstage, Dolph rushed to catch up with Drew. “Hey, slow down. Not everybody can be as tall as you.”

“And not everybody can be as self-serving as you. Though I am thinking about trying.”

Dolph caught hold of one of the chains on Drew’s gear. “Woah, woah, woah. What’s with the attitude. Did… did Elias get under your skin?” He reeled, running his tongue over his teeth. “Come on man, it’s the last show before TLC. He’s just trying to split us up. Better his chances. It doesn’t mean-“

“So, nothing he said is true?” Drew’s scowl allowed no room for lying or tricky words.

All Dolph could do was shrug. “Okay, he got me. He’s right, I do want to win. And once I do, I want to have a classic match that’s just us.” He lightly punched Drew’s shoulder. “One that shows off what the Universe has been ignoring since we teamed up. Man, we’ve been so busy chasing Seth or Dean, we’ve lost our own drive. Our own plans.”

“Your plans.”

“And you’ve known the end game from the beginning. Once one of us wins a title, we give the other a shot at it. Elias did get that much right. And that I want to be the one that wins the Intercontinental Championship on Sunday. He got a lot right, but not for the right reasons.”

Drew huffed and tried to walk way. Dolph stepped in front of him, ignoring the murderous glint in Drew’s eyes.

“Okay, okay. I wanted to strategize a few days closer to TLC, but if this is an issue we can do it now. I was hoping you could have my back. I’m going to have yours. But let me climb the ladder. I’m great at matches like this. Then, that Monday, or the next week if Sunday proves to be super intense, which it might, you get the first shot at the title. Without the other distractions that come in a ladder match.”

Looking at the two, it was difficult to know who was believing whom. Drew seemed to believe that Dolph was sincere. And Dolph seemed to believe that Drew’s worries were completely at rest.

“Sounds like another great plan.” Drew gently pushed his partner aside and continued down the hallway.

***

The B-Team and Titus World Wide squared off for the Raw Tag Team Titles. It was a flurry of activity. Titus had a generous height advantage and Apollo’s acrobatic speed was a leveling force. But the B-Team had one thing more than any other team on the roster.

Skilled luck.

Their timing was impeccable. Speed and strength meant nothing against how much the champs watched each other’s backs. How effective their borderline slap-stick attacks were against their opponents. Not that World Wide didn’t either, but on their team, each man was trying to win the titles using his own method. Stumbling over each other’s plans cost them the match.

While Bo collected their belts from the ref, Curtis waved Charley to come into the ring. She obliged and brought mics for them. “Did you two want to say something?”

Curtis nodded and rushed to catch his breath. “We were down to fight any team who won last week-“

“But it didn’t end as it should have.” Bo finished. “The Ascension messed with the match. While it was nothing more than a distraction-“

“Reigns and Ambrose should have won. And as such, we want to face them at TLC.”

Bo slung his belt over his shoulder. “We’ll even let them pick the rules.”

Charley was left standing alone as two chairs swung in and sent the champions to the canvas. She quickly moved to one side as Dean and Roman made sure Bo and Curtis weren’t going to get back up.

Dean motioned for Charley to come back to the center. He leaned into the mic she offered. “We want chairs.”

Roman nodded. He slung an arm over Dean’s shoulder once they hit ringside. “We’ll see you at TLC,” he shouted at them.

Corey shuddered. “I think the B-Team has realized they have made a huge mistake.”

***

By the time the main event rolled around, Stephanie was smiling like you were her new favorite child. And Baron was glaring at you every chance he got. You couldn’t help but grin between them. You all watched from backstage as Natalya made her way to the announce table.

She greeted everybody and settled in. Corey noticed how she kept fidgeting. “You seem restless, Natalya. What’s up?”

“They took my title to hang it above the ring a while ago. I don’t like not having it with me.”

Renee gave her shoulder a pat. “You’ll have it back as soon as the match is over. Though I can’t promise you won’t have to wrangle it back from whoever wins tonight. Who do you think that’ll be, by the way?”

Natalya shrugged while Bayley’s music came on. “Honestly, I don’t really care. All of these women are phenomenal. And any one of them is going to put their all into our match on Sunday.” The other women entered, with Rhonda last. Natalya waved back at her. “The most pressing thing right now is to see who will survive tonight.”

Finally, all the women were in the ring. It was surrounded by upright ladders, all ready for use against a human body. When the bell rang, all the women froze. For a second, it looked like maybe nothing was going to be used from outside of the ring. But then Alexa made a quick exit. Ruby left on the other side of the ring. Natalya and Bayley stared at each other, then with a nod to each other, they sprang off opposite ropes and sailed at their opponents.

Ruby was the first to utilize the tools surrounding her. She ducked Rhonda’s inexperienced jump and held up a short ladder as a shield for her to run into. Alexa was less successful because Bayley knew more what was in store. She evaded Alexa’s shield by scaling another one set up nearby, then took her to the floor. Either way, both women were able to throw the other two back into the ring while staying on the floor themselves. For extra measure, Bayley tossed in a short ladder between them.

They took the bait and gave the other hell. Once those two had exhausted themselves, Bayley and Rhonda got back into the ring and fought against one another. Occasionally they had to deal with Ruby or Alexa as they came to, but kept the fight mostly between themselves. Surprisingly, Rhonda was the first to bring in something tall enough to reach the goal. The other women made it impossible for her to scale it to the title, scrambling over her to reach for themselves.

There were several ladder collapses, finger’s desperately grazing the title before getting yanked away, and mini alliances that were rapidly broken for the prize at hand. And other things were dragged out from under the ring to use.

Ruby had the last run. Alexa and Bayley were scrambled together through a table, and Rhonda was missing somewhere under a pile of chairs. Ruby struggled to crawl into the ring. Then found it difficult to scale the ladder due to her injuries. In her focus, she missed the motion of a newly active woman climbing the other side. Only at the top did she come face to face with Rhonda, who met her punch for punch.

Ruby fell.

Unclipping the belt, Rhonda held it high and smiled back at Natalya.

Corey broke through the electric tension. “Now that we know Rhonda can handle ladders, on Sunday I guess we’ll see if she can handle tables and chairs too. Natalya?”

Their match was set. Friend against friend. Natalya stood and slow applauded. She was ready.


	24. Shattered (TLC)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old enemy of the Shield returns, raining havoc in their wake. TLC brings some sudden changes to titles, and to individuals.

TLC – October 21, 2018

Charley Caruso offered Finn Balor her mic after asking him about his plan for retaining this title that evening. Finn was wearing a Balor club shirt under his jacket and didn’t look like he was dressed for a fight. He gave her and the camera to the pre-show announce table a smile. “It’s the same plan since I got my title back. Defend it with my all. Hang onto it. At any cost.”

“You say at any cost… but I don’t see you preparing to call the demon.”

He chuckled. “That’s because if I wanted, I could hang onto my title on my own tonight. Kevin Owens is a talented wrestler, but we’re not sure if his actions demand the appearance of the demon. Though, he has made the argument that he could have beaten Balor during our first title run.”

The sound of heavy footsteps made them turn. Braun Strowman walked up behind Finn. “Hang onto it while you can, Finn. I’m willing to fight for it at any cost too.”

All three of them froze as what could only be described as a dark giggle seemed to surround them. Braun was affected the most. His nostrils flared, and he flattened his hands against his thighs so they wouldn’t shake. He shot Finn one more glare, though it was weakened, and went back the way he came.

***

The crowd cheered as the show began. All around the ring, up the ramp, and all over the stage, there were towering ladders, congregations of tables, and stacks of chairs. All ready to be used to help dismantle an opponent.

Kevin looked neither left or right at any of these tools. He went through the motions of his entrance, then leaned against the ropes to wait for Finn.

Finn was not the one who showed up.

Red thumps welcomed the Demon King into the arena. When he entered, he looked like Finn, except for the eyes that cried blood and the giant, gaping mouth full of sharp teeth across his torso fighting out from beneath the leather jacket. He kept bringing his eyes back to Kevin until he could stand before him.

The bell rang a second after Balor shed his jacket. Kevin had thought the man would show up, but prepared for both. It was not nearly enough. Not by himself. So, Kevin grabbed for the items around the ring he had ignored earlier. Although the chairs bent and warped over Balor’s back, that did not faze the Demon King. He chased his challenger around the ring, wielding a chair himself.

Kevin scaled a ladder, trying to get away long enough to form a plan. Balor followed him and threw him off onto a table. It splintered under the impact. Kevin screamed in pain, making Balor grin widely. Balor hauled Kevin to his feet and shoved him back into the ring. He also brought in another table. Kevin fought to find the strength to fight back before Balor could set it up.

They fought around the ring while the table stood in one corner. Kevin gained enough of an upper hand to have Balor ceremoniously stretched across the surface, ready to be broken in half with the wood.

But the King moved.

Kevin crashed through it himself and Balor scaled the ropes. He jumped and brought his feet down onto Kevin’s chest in a Coup de Gras. Then he growled at the ref for the count.

Once again, the Demon had retained.

***

Next was the ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship.

At the bell, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre both went after Seth Rollins. Elias was too shocked to assist or to interfere. Dolph was successful with a early zig-zag, and Drew rolled Seth out of the ring. Then they turned their attention onto the champion.

What the pair didn’t anticipate was how similar Elias’s evasion tactics were to theirs. He would dodge one, then run the second into the first. They were constantly fighting to keep up, and even when they did, they found out how he had stayed champion for so long. Dolph got tossed out first. Without his partner to interfere, Drew gained the upper hand on Elias and tossed him out. Drew was on his way to grab the first ladder when he was intercepted by a mostly recovered Seth.

The fight continued on the outside of the ring. Fighting pairs traded opponents, and Elias swayed his alliance between Drew and Dolph, and Seth. It did not help him, because he was lying across a fallen ladder while Seth was the first one to scale towards the title. The ladder tilted. It fell, sending Seth onto the top rope before he was pushed to the floor by Dolph.

The ladder was rightned, but when Dolph’s head crested over the top, he came face to face with Drew. They shared a silent conversation. Drew descended the ladder. With a grin, Dolph climbed the last few steps and reached.

His finger grazed the title, then fell out of reach. Drew continued to tip the ladder until Dolph was laying on the floor next to Seth. He fixed the ladder again and looked towards his prize. There was no one in sight, so he took his time to catch his breath while he climbed. Which was a mistake.

Elias rushed into the ring and met Drew at the top. They shared blows which ended when Elias jumped over the top and slammed Drew into the canvas. Then he climbed back up and reclaimed his title.

He sat on top of the ladder while the audience chanted “walk with Elias.”

***

Dean and Roman had a fairly short tag titles match against the B-Team.

For all their tricks that helped them beat Titus World Wide, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas couldn’t beat the brotherhood that existed between their opponents. They tried to confuse them, switching tags to quick that Dean’s head turned on a swivel. They tried their combined power against Roman. Curtis was able to scale the ropes a few times when Roman’s back was turned and hit between his shoulder blades, but the last time he jumped, Roman was ready and superman-punched him out of the air.

Then the Shield brothers turned on the heat. Their quick tags. Their combined power. Their sneak attacks, and their trick shots. The B-team quickly lost their upper hand they’d had for most of the match. Or maybe it had been an illusion that they’d had anything for the match at all.

Dean knocked Bo down with a Dirty Deeds. Roman jumped over Dean taking the pin to spear Curtis and keep him from ruining the count. One. Two. Three. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns were Raw Tag Team Champions. They accepted their belts with roars of pride and held them aloft while the referee struggled to raise their hands in victory.

***

Raw’s main event match was the TLC match for the Raw Women’s Title. Rhonda Rousey bounced on one side of the ring while she waited for her friend, Natalya Hart, to finish making her way to the ring. She eyed the belt around her waist and gave the air a few more test punches before shooting her a smile. Yeah, this was a title match, but it was also a long-building friendly bought. Rhonda vowed to have fun. The ref took the title to show it to the audience, then motioned for the bell after passing it out of the ring.

The women met in a battle of strength first, which Natalya lost as she was tossed towards the ropes. They shared a look, then each rolled out of the ring. Natalya rolled back in first with a chair. Rhonda was a slower time coming as she struggled to force a folded table into the ring. At the sight of each other, they laughed. Natalya dropped her chair just long enough to help her friend, then dropped her onto it.

Now it was on. The first item had been used, and the lines were drawn. Natalya had grown up watching such matches; she knew what to do and when. Rhonda may have been new, but she was going to have fun; she did. Wrestling was even more interesting when tables, ladders, and chairs were involved.

Rushing towards the end, there were at least two broken tables, several used and tumbled ladders, and one chair bent irreparably out of shape. Both women were laying on the canvas, chests heaving, while the ref began a ten count. If neither woman made it to her feet, Natalya would retain. Rhonda didn’t want that to happen. She crawled to the ropes and worked her feet under her. Smiling, she looked back for her friend but saw her clinging similarly to the ropes on the other side.

They rushed one another. They twisted, trying to gain control of each other until Rhonda was able to grip Natalya’s arm. She dropped her to the mat and leaned back with her arm lock. Natalya screeched and reached for the ropes, but they were far from reach. Rhonda upped the pressure just enough to warn her what she could do but didn’t want to do.

Natalya tapped.

Rhonda let go and hugged Natalya, apologizing and thanking her. Natalya struggled to her feet and took the title from the ref, then turned and handed it to Rhonda. She raised her hand in the air. They both beamed, proud of each other and themselves for putting on a great match.

***

***

Monday Night Raw – October 22, 2018

In less that twenty-four hours, Natalya had asked for her rematch. And she wanted it in style. So, at the beginning of the show, you were standing by a table set up in the ring. On either side, Natalya and Rhonda were ready to sign the contract that would set the match for Evolution. Rhonda had a death grip on the title, though she had joked with Natalya all the way to the ring.

“Before we get down to it,” you said, “is there anything you would like to say to each other, or about TLC, or about your next step?”

Natalya motioned for Rhonda to go first. She was the new champ after all.

“Anything I would like to say?” Rhonda hummed in thought. “I would like to thank Natalya, for giving me the chance and for putting up one hell of a fight.” She moved her attention to the crowd. “I wanted to thank all of you too. I know I moved up kind of fast, but I made it this far because of your support for me. Thank you.” Something in her face shifted. She hardened. Descended into a mode that was familiar to her.

“Rhonda?” you murmured.

“One more thing.” She readjusted the title on her shoulder. “I am never letting this go. Now that I got it, I understand why you guys fight so hard for title here in WWE. It’s different than elsewhere. In the UFC, you’ve got your trainers and friends and family backing you up. But the buzz of the fans. The universe. It’s different. You guys make this title mean more. And I never want to lose that feeling. And I’m not going to.”

Natalya cocked her head. Why this change?

“And Natalya? I hope you bring you’re A-game at Evolution. Because I am going to bring mine. And I will not stop, even if it means breaking your arm.”

“When did you get so angry about this?” Natalya scoffed. “Anger in a match is just… exhausting.” 

“Sometimes anger helps you win.”

You kept yourself from whistling and leaned further back into the ropes. All you had to do was keep them from fighting each other. They could back-talk one another as much as they liked.

“And sometimes it’s a distraction,” Natalya continued. “You don’t have to be angry at me to have a great match.”

“I might if I want to beat you. I will stay women’s champion, even if I have to go through you.”

“Why does everything have to be one woman against the other to the death? You have come a long way since joining the WWE, and I want to see you try to keep that away from me. You will be unsuccessful, but that’s beside the point.”

Rhonda’s hard façade cracked. “Oh, that’s how you want to play it?”

She smiled back, good naturedly. “That’s how I want to play it.”

“Alright.” She took up the pen and signed on the dotted line. Leaning across the table a bit, she offered it to her friend. Natalya signed with a smile.

You let out the breath you were holding in. “Alright. Great.”

***

Baron was not having as great a night as you. Both Stephanie and Kurt Angle were with him to pronounce the finality of the decision. Stephanie tried to keep the malice out of her voice, but as a McMahon, it didn’t really make a difference. She off on a sheet and passed it to Kurt to sign too.

“And that’s that. Baron Corbin is not longer a co-manager of Monday Night Raw. Such potential, but you can’t win them all.” She took the clipboard back and passed it to Baron to sign. He hesitated. Stephanie sighed, “yes, you’re not going to be manager anymore, but if you sign, part of your ‘severance package’ is a title-shot match tonight. Your pick.”

That sealed it. Baron signed. “I want Elias.”

Stephanie nodded. “Done. Thank you, Baron. Let’s never do this again.”

He growled, turned on his heel, and left.

***

Back in the ring, Dean and Roman were strutting around with their new titles on their shoulders. Well, Roman was watching Dean strut. And by strut, it was really something closer to bouncing.

“Well people, say hello to your new Raw Tag Team Champions,” Dean growled. Roman beamed behind him. “We wanted to let you guys, and everyone in that locker room, know that we are here for anytime, any place to defend these titles. But we aren’t your old ‘shield against injustice.’”

“Not anymore,” Roman picked up. He was about to say more when the Titantron crackled to life with some odd images. They both watched, confused as black and white images flickered faster than they could understand them. As an eerie laugh echoed through the arena, they sprung towards the ropes, Dean glancing over their shoulders for an attack.

A figure walked onto the stage. He was wearing a bright white lab coat, which was blinding compared to his dirty, mangled clothes underneath. Perhaps once they had been scrubs.

“Bray?” Roman asked.

The figure laughed. “More than that now. In my absence, I was still paying attention to the goings on here. And I have to say, the diagnosis is not good. There is a sickness in the WWE.” He giggled again. “A weakness. Something that has been keeping everyone here floundering to reach their former greatness. No matter. I am here.” He spread his arms wide. “Dr. M is here.”

Dean scoffed. “We’ve beaten you time and time again, Bray. This… version of you will be no different. Hey,” he mocked, “what does the M stand for?”

Dr. M laughed openly. His gaze looked through them, to the large man now standing in the ring. Braun sent both men crashing to the canvas. He lifted Roman up first, power slamming him before Dean could move. Then he did the same to Dean. Braun left the ring and joined Dr. M on the stage, nodding as if something had just been set right.

***

Finn made his way to the ring, looking awkwardly over his shoulder referencing to what happened to Dean and Roman. He cringed one last time while grabbing a mic, then gave the universe a smile. “Well, t’at was excitin’. And so was TLC. But I’m not really out here to talk. Tonight’s been kind of chatty already. I just wanted to… issue an open challenge.” He passed the mic back to a techie and shed his jacket.

Chad Gable answered the call.

For having fought with tables and such the night before, Finn was able to keep up with the fresh man very well. Chad was also able to take advantage to how much reigning the demon back in usually cost him. Chad was able to evade most of Finn’s quick moves, grounding him and repeatedly attacking his already injured ribs. The suplexes made them bend in painful ways. Arching out of pins was even worse.

Still, Finn hadn’t called Balor the night before for nothing. He could defend his title as a man. And he was going to prove it. With a growl, he launched into a more active attack. One that surprised Chad and the audience as it picked up steam. Soon, there was nothing between Finn and Chad but air. Air that Finn jumped through for the count and the win. He helped his challenger to his feet before leaving the ring with the red and gold over his shoulder.

***

“Drew,” Dolph called, racing down the hallway. “Drew! Stop.” He finally caught up and pulled at Drew’s arm. “You’ve been avoiding me since yesterday, and I know why. But I am willing to let that rest in the past if you’ll just explain it to me. Then we can go back to-“

“What? Back to tha way things were?” Drew shook his head and shook off Dolph’s grip. “Nah. I’m makin’ my own way now.”

His former partner sneered. “This isn’t you. This is Elias and his… his mind games. And possibly his bad music. Why you’d let him in your head, man? We had something great going.”

Drew glared at him. “Did we? We didn’t win any titles, just opportunities. An’ when the end goal was in our grasp, there you were, makin’ sure we didn’t get it. I’m tired of it. And I’m sick of you. Ya stole all my chances I’ve had since getting’ back. I’m not gonna let that continue. So I dropped ya. Well,” he chuckled, “I made the ladder drop ya, at least. Same thing. Now get outta my way, an’ sty outta it. Or I’ll show you tha side of the Scottish Psychopath the WWE hasn’t seen yet. The side they don’t wanna see.” His smirk dropped into disdain.

Dolph watched him leave in disbelief.

***

Corey Graves was not pleased. “Why would Ambrose and Reigns make this a title match? Doesn’t it seem a little odd to anyone that Braun and… Dr. M show up out of nowhere and suddenly get a tag title match? Ambrose and Rollins just got the titles last night.”

“They’re not really guys to waste time,” Renee suggested. “Dean and Roman saw the threat, saw their true purpose through Dr. M’s ramblings, and asked for the match. It makes perfect sense.”

He harrumphed. “May the odds be ever in their favor.”

The lights went out while static took over the Titantron. When they came back, Braun was standing behind Dr. M like a mountain. They ignored the intros of Dean and Roman until both men were in the ring. Then there was a stand-off reminiscent of old times.

Roman and Braun took first turns. The same moves. The same expressions of power and strength. But Braun was different. More controlled. He seemed to be three moves ahead, even before Roman was planning what to do next. Dr. M beckoned him back to the corner. And Dean called for Roman.

They switched. Dean wanted to know just what had changed about the man they used to know as Bray Wyatt… or if he had changed at all. He had. Faster. More reactive to Dean’s actions until he caught the rhythm. Then Dr. M launched. He had a new and improved moveset that targeted Dean, and then Roman’s, known weaknesses. Braun would swoop in occasionally, but it was obvious who was back to controlling the strings.

Dr. M taunted Dean into the ring, feigning left and then moving right to catch Dean in a different version of Sister Abigail’s kiss. Roman was unable to rush to his brother as Braun swept his feet out from under him and tossed him into the steps.

Braun again took his position behind Dr. M kneeling by Dean. He took the titles and held them out, matching Dr. M’s pose. In a flash of darkness, they were gone. And neither Dean or Roman had moved.

Corey hummed knowingly. “See. Told you guys this match was a bad idea.”

***

There wasn’t time for a song. Not that Elias really had one prepared. He’d just retained his title, but because of the severance package, he was now having to face Baron. And he was pissed. He glared at Baron as the challenger made his entrance, smug as ever.

They barely waited for the bell. Baron had several restful weeks under his belt. Elias had just had a grueling match against three of the best in the business. There wasn’t much he could do except evade and attack when he could. Elias tried using the standards, the moves that were easy but effective, the ones that gave more than the energy they took to be enacted.

It wasn’t enough.

Baron’s Deep Six was beautiful was always. And impressive given the size of Elias. What was more impressive, was how he kept his composure as the referee handed him the Intercontinental Championship. He accepted it… and then stared at it for several seconds. Unsurprised of it’s existence in his hands. He chuckled.

Elias growled from the corner he had crawled to. This was not over.


	25. Trick or Treat (Evolution)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first-ever women’s PPV, Evolution, is a hit. The amazing moral of Raw continues as everybody gets ready for Survivor Series. A warning comes from an old rival and it brings the rosters together for a unique match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am super excited for this chapter because it’s one of the major chunks I had in mind during the early stages of series development. Pretty much everything about Survivor Series is why I wrote this series. There have been some changes in that plan because of Roman’s announcement, and I will not be using Joe Anoa’I illness as a plot point. I will be mentioning it enough to move Dean forward, but it won’t be a focus. Thank you guys for sticking with me this far. Enjoy this next chapter!

Evolution – October 28, 2018 - Uniondale, New York

The monumental night began with a title match. Natalya stood in one corner. In the other, Rhonda stood with the title swung over her shoulder.

When the bell rang, both women took one more second to observe her opponent before rushing in for the headlock. They had learned well from each other. Natalya was using some holds that were more likely to be seen in a UFC fight than a squared circle. And Rhonda was taking time to breathe. She would rush in, all speed and aggression, but when something didn’t work she was able to take a step back and clear her head.

They danced around one another, occasionally smiling. To some of the woman watching in the back, the match looked like a typical sparring match. That couldn’t last forever.

Natalya twisted Rhonda underneath her in a sharpshooter. How many times in sparring had Rhonda been able to crawl to the ropes? Or to turn opposite of Natalya’s force and make it out? It was beginning to frustrate Rhonda that she couldn’t do any of those things. She grit her teeth and was able to move a few inches closer to the bottom rope. With a few more she would be able to grab it. The bottom rope faded into the distance as Natalya dragged her back into the center of the ring and deepened the hold.

With a growl, Rhonda had to choose the stability of her body over her reign.

The women both crumpled to the canvas as the bell rang again, ending the match. They hugged one another, even as the ref struggled to bring Natalya to her feet. He eventually raised her hand in victory and was quickly replaced by Rhonda. No hard feelings; just a great match.

But Evolution had to continue.

***

Trish Stratus and Lita made their grand entrance to the loud welcome of the WWE universe. The crowd was full of women who had grown up watching their matches, and new fans young and old who were coming into the WWE at the best time. Every girl and woman sitting or standing around the arena was ready for the first of many PPVs showing off the best female talent. Lita eagerly welcomed several girls straining over the barricades with handshakes and a bright smile.

In the ring, things were a little grimmer. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James attacked early before the ref’s signal, rushing action from the legends. All four woman took turns having the upper hand, and wondering if they were going to make it out of the pin. Trish caught Alexa with a Stratusfaction, bringing their match to a close.

The night continued with the last round of the Mae Young Classic, the NXT Women’s championship between Kari Sane and Shayna Bazler, and then with the all-woman battle royal. More legends came out, and some hopeful future legends from NXT like Dakota Kai and Nikki Cross. The past met the future over and over again as participants went over the top rope. In the end, only one could stand by herself. And at this Evolution, it was Ember Moon.

***

Evolution ended with the match of the year. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Fair gave their all in the first ever Last Woman Standing match. Throughout the war, both women tried to use their submission moves on the other. During any other match, a submission would have been admitting that the other was the best wrestler. That she was right. But tonight, the last woman standing meant she had more drive, more power, and more right to the title than the one left in a heap.

Charlotte twisted in the air off a ring post. Becky was wobbling on her feet on the floor below. The last several counts had danced dangerously close to ten.

At the last second, Becky turned and flattened herself against the ring. Charlotte landed hard on the floor. She crawled around, gripping at Becky’s boot as her former friend rolled into the ring. Becky stood in the center, staring at her opponent as the ref counted.

Eight. Nine. Ten.

No matter the cost, Becky Lynch had retained her Smackdown Women’s Championship and proved herself to be the stronger woman. The one with the drive. That she was right.

***

* * *

***

Monday Night Raw – October 29, 2018

The Titantron lit up with your name and your colors. You entered with a smile and made your way to the ring, mentally giggling as heavy footsteps followed. Braun used his longer stride to get ahead of you so he could sit on the ropes and help you into the ring. He had made it clear that what happened last week with taking Dean and Roman’s titles with Bray Wyatt, now Dr. M, did not extend to you.

“Welcome to Monday Night Raw!” You smiled brightly. The welcome was never going to get old. “Evolution was a fantastic success. I got to meet some women last night that I never dreamed I would never see in person. And our ladies did an amazing job putting on the best show possible. I know it will not be the last of it’s kind.” You took a deep breath and looked back at Braun.

“But that was Sunday,” you continued. “Starting tonight, it is officially Survivor Series season. And that is why Braun is being my shadow for the evening. Because of… last year’s events leading up to Survivor Series, we thought it was best if I had a little extra security. I don’t want to end up in a match.”

“You have to say the thing.”

“What?”

Braun growled with a smirk. “You have to say the thing.”

No. His good-natured glare heavily suggested you should, but you tried to get out of it anyway. “I don’t want to. It’s too soon. I don’t want to be sick of it before the night’s out.”

He tilted his head. “But it’s Survivor Series Season.” When you grit your teeth, he chuckled. “You know we get a bonus every time we say it, right?”

Well in that case… “As you all know,” you said, smiling at him, “Survivor Series is the one time of year when Raw and Smackdown go head to head in competition.” You sighed. “This better be worth it.”

Braun just laughed and gave your back a hard pat, making you stumble forward.

“Our superstars will meet their superstars for each of the titles, and then also for the five on five tag team matches. We will start the process of selecting those team members tonight with two women’s matches and two men’s matches. And in new news this year, the champions of NXT and 205 Live will also go head to head. It might be a little rough for the NXT champion since War Games is the night before, but William Regal is sure his champion will triumph.”

The audience seemed to take the news well. You were able to let your shoulders relax.

“On that note, let’s get the show started with our first elimination member matches.”

On the way out, you quietly promised to split the phrase bonus with Braun since he was the one who told you.

***

Up first for the elimination match, Liv Morgan and Sasha Banks fought for their position. Ruby and Sarah Logan had accompanied their teammate into the arena, but she waved them backstage. They all knew Sasha hadn’t been having a good run. In Liv’s mind, tonight was going to be nothing different.

Unfortunately for her, it was.

Sasha was tired of sitting on the sidelines. Tired of missing opportunities. And tired of people assuming she was done. So after taking several minutes of Liv’s aggression, she flipped on her own. Harsh kicks and rapid-fire punches. The losses that had piled up were several too many. Headlocks and body slams. The way other wrestlers looked at her when she walked by was done. Jumps from the top ropes. With a battle-cry, Sasha grabbed Liv by her pink hair. She was thrown across the ring. Sasha caught her bouncing off the ropes and flipped back into a Bank Statement.

Liv submitted, giving the first spot on the women’s elimination team to Sasha.

***

Next was the first men’s spot match. Drew McIntyre proudly made it down to the ring and patiently waited for his opponent. His smug grin turned sour at the sound of Dolph’s record scratch. They didn’t waste any time. A position was next on Dolph’s list of goals, and it had a similar position for Drew. But instead of showing each other off, they did their best to crush one another. Drew tried several times for a Claymore. It was always evaded. Dolph attempted to use his small form and speed to tire out his former partner but was often brought to a halt with some submission hold.

Renee piped up in commentary, “I think this is more than about a spot on the Raw team. These men were practically attached at the hip to achieve a goal. Dolph wanted a match between them after obtaining a championship, but that never happened. This is the match we would have seen, for who can be the best man. But now it’s for who is right. Either Dolph in his ambitions, or Drew in his.”

Not even Corey could disagree with that.

Dolph jumped for a Zig-Zag, but Drew saw it coming and was able to flip him around. By the time Dolph had scrambled back to his feet, he was met with a Claymore. Drew stood over his unmoving body for a few seconds before moving in for the pin. He didn’t celebrate. Nor did he give Dolph’s glare a backward glance.

***

Bayley and Ruby were up next for the team spot. The Riott Squad leader did not make the same mistake as her teammate. Sarah Logan was ringside for the whole match. Any time the ref’s back was turned, she was on the apron looking to distract Bayley and give Ruby an upper hand.

When Sarah couldn’t interfere, Bayley was struggling to keep Ruby from keeping her shoulders terrifyingly close to the canvas. The hugger used her skills to flip their positions, and then her power to rain blows down onto her opponent. Ruby desperately blocked her face and kicked her feet, trying to get out. Finally, Ruby was able to catch Bayley in the ribs with a hit, sending her rolling across the ring.

She couldn’t waste the chance. She returned the favor, catching Bayley in her own trap, even when she grabbed hold of the bottom rope and the ref counted to four. Only at the last second did she let go.

Sarah moved to dip between the ropes while Ruby argued with the ref. She was quickly knocked to the floor, but Ruby was there to push the ref aside and roll Bayley up for the pin.

The Riott Squad made their quick exit, smirking all the way.

***

“Dean, wait up!” You hurried to catch up with your cousin’s receding form. “Where are you going? You’ve got a match later.”

He looked away at the ground. “I don’t think I need to be on the team,” he muttered.

“What?” You shook your head. “Why? You’re one of the best guys here and we need you. And I’m not saying that ‘cause-“

“I can’t Y/N. Find someone else for that match.” Dean shied away from your outstretched hand. “I’m the reason why… Roman and I lost the tag titles because of me. And then he… he left. I’m not… I can’t-“

“Dean,” you gently placed your hand on his shoulder, ready to snatch it back. When he leaned into the comforting touch, you took a deep breath. “He’s going to come back. In the meantime, I thought you’d like a fun fight. Your elimination spot match is with No Way Jose.” You bit your lip as he didn’t react. “Just make it to the ring. Then we’ll go from there, okay? No pressure. No promises. What happens is what happens… and you are still my favorite big cousin either way. Please?”

Dean winced a grin. “Sure, Ladybug. I’ll get there.” Then he calmly removed your hand from his shoulder and walked away.

***

As there were new tag team champions, Braun and Dr. M wanted to prove that they were the best team to face the Smackdown tag team. So you had set up two triple threat matches between the other Raw tag teams, the first one tonight. Dr. M and Braun watched from backstage, with you close by so Braun could keep a close eye on you.

The B-Team, the Authors of Pain, and the team of Heath Slater and Rhyno met in the ring. To keep things interesting, one member from each team would be allowed in the ring at a time instead of the usual two. This lead to some odd mini-alliances depending on who was the most dangerous wrestler in the ring at any given moment. Like Bo Dallas and Rezar against Rhyno. Or Curtis Axel and Heath against Akam, before they flipped to attack Curtis.

In the end, the general consensus that the Authors of Pain were the biggest threats was correct. Rezar pinned Bo while Akam held Rhyno in the corner behind the ref’s back. They posed at the top of the ramp with Drake Maverick, who spat warnings to the new champions that they wouldn’t champs for long.

***

When Dean walked into the arena, he had to laugh. No Raw before Halloween was complete without a Trick or Treat Street match. No disqualifications, and no promises. You were probably going to get flack for making an elimination spot match so frivolous, but Dean’s smile made it worth it. Besides, who didn’t want to see Jose conga-dancing with a skeleton?

There were, of course, candy corn kendo sticks, pumpkins, and bowls of candy that both men gleefully emptied into the crowd. When they got down to it, Dean was more than willing to participate. What he wasn’t expecting, was to laugh to much in a match for something so important.

The match could have gone either way. They were both having so much fun, neither was too insistent to pin the other but there was a goal to achieve. A Dirty Deeds into a mess of mutilated pumpkin parts did the trick.

As Dean pinned Jose, he nodded. You were right. He needed this match. And you had picked the perfect opponent that would have made Raw proud had he lost. They shook hands and shared a candy bar on their way out of the ring.

***

After the commercial break, Finn was standing in the ring with his Universal and a mic.

“Last year I was part of the elimination tag-team for Raw. This year I am battlin’ with my title against one of the best in the business.” He smiled. “My title. On Sunday Natalya won back her ability to say the same thing. My title. She’s goin’ to face Becky Lynch, a ‘nother incredible woman who has fought and clawed her way into bein’ able to do this.” Finn lifted the red and gold belt high above his head with his right hand. “There have always been incredible fights to that right. Always will be. But Survivor Series is different.”

He thumbed at his lip in thought. “Survivor Series is about seein’ who is the best between Raw and Smackdown. It’s about pride and cementin’ your stamp on wrestling deeper into the history of this ring. It’s more than just your legacy. It’s making it stand higher than another great name.” 

“I agree.” The Titantron flickered to life. AJ Styles was sitting in front of a blue screen with his WWE Heavyweight Championship over his shoulder. “Thank you for that compliment. I concur that my legacy stands the highest in the WWE. I’ve been carrying this title for a while, and I have been carrying Smackdown for even longer.” He paused. “What is your legacy, Finn? An injury and a title you can’t defend without help from… a darker version of yourself?”

Finn smiled and sucked on his teeth. “Not like you can defend your title without almost losin’ it. Now that I’ve got it back, it hasn’t been at risk of changin’ hands. Unlike…” he pointed at the screen, where AJ curtly shot him a look.

“Are we going to do this like last time?”

Finn shook his head. “Nah. This time around I’m more int’rested in havin’ a man versus man fight.”

“I might make you regret that decision.”

“If you say so, AJ. But no one has made me regret being tha man I am. This man is the one who bested the demon in the first place. Took his crown. Shaped ‘im into what I needed. Finn Balor as a man is just as great a wrestler as tha Demon King. But I guess you’ll be findin’ that out in a few weeks.”

“I’ll be seeing you before Survivor Series,” AJ said with a smirk.

“Is t’at so? Lookin’ for a practice-match, phenomenal one?”

AJ shook his head. “Not quite. Trick or treat.” Then the screen went black.

Finn scoffed, unbothered.

***

Elias strummed. “Tonight, I take back what was stolen from me.” He thought for a moment, absently playing a tune that dropped and attacked the air around him. “Baron Corbin is going to walk with Elias and find that he is not gifted enough to stand to me. The Intercontinental Championship is going to be on my waist at Survivor Series, and I will defeat Shinsuke Nakamura. And then they will both know what all of you people here know and that is that WWE stands for?”He hooted as the audience gave the correct response. There would have been more, but Baron wasn’t the most patient person on the roster.

The Intercontinental Champion strutted out onto the stage, making sure that the gold on his title caught the light just right. He begrudgingly handed it to the ref and smugly bounced in his corner while Elias glared at him from the other side.

They fought hard. It was looking like Elias had the upper hand when there was a banshee-like screech. Baron retreated to the side of the ring furthest from the stage, while Elias stumbled for a closer look.

“Paige?” he read on the screen.

Baron took the moment to roll Elias up, latching his fingers into his belt loops for that extra leverage. Elias chased him out of the ring, where Baron was hastily handed the title.

You passed him on your way down the ramp. Braun was a few steps behind and stayed on the floor while you got in the ring for a better look around the arena. He joined you as Paige came in through the side stage entrance and the Smackdown roster filed down the stairs. She gave you a sweet smile before climbing through the ropes.

“Paige.”

“Y/N.”

“I would say it’s good to see you, but… I have to wonder what you’re doing here.”

She laughed. “Oh, sweetheart. Tis the season. Just thought we ought to come for a little visit-“

“And repeat what happens every year, rough up my roster? Come on Paige, you’re smarter than that.”

“I don’t really think you’re in a position to say so.”

Now it was your turn to smile. “Oh?” Making a big show of it, you raised your fist in the air and snapped. Raw wrestlers streamed in from all sides. Down the ramp. From the crowd, blocking Smackdown’s exit. They were backed up against the ring as they were surrounded. “What was that, sweetie?”

Paige cocked her head, acknowledging the strategic move.

You interrupted before she could say anything. “How about something new this year. We’ve got dozens of talented wrestlers, and we’re going to see the best spectacle of that in a few weeks. But tonight, I think we should give the Universe a match that won’t be happening at Survivor Series. Something unique.”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

“Champion versus champion. Someone you think embodies the ‘land of opportunity’ spirit of Smackdown. And I’ll pick mine. Well… actually, mine is already picked.”

“You planned this?”

A giggle escaped. “It all depended on your actions, Paige. A game of chess.

She shook her head. “It’s not much of a game if your obvious answer is already in the ring.” She nodded in Braun’s general direction.

The two of you shared a look. “That’s not a guarantee. I have a whole roster full of champions. Can you say the same?”

“You know I can.”

“Then do it. We’re in showbiz. Let’s put on a show.”

Paige looked past you, then reestablished eye contact with you. “Fine. I choose Sheamus.” The ring bounced as he entered the ring. You remained still, trying to keep your emotions under control. “I hope that’s okay.”

Sheamus stood between you. “I’ll make the match quick. Perhaps you should pick one of your B-list wrestlers? It would be a shame to embarrass one of your A-listers this close to Survivor Series.”

You chuffed. “This is Monday Night Raw. There is no such thing as a B-list wrestler here. But I thought you would have known that, having been moved to Smackdown this year.”

On the floor, Dean and Seth shared a smile watching you sass back and forth with Sheamus. Seth was enjoying every second of it. Dean was too, but he was also making a plan of attack if Sheamus tried anything.

Turning to your circle, you motioned for some to leave. The ones that did left up the ramp and brought chairs out onto the stage. “Ladies and gentlemen,” you said, “if you could please. We don’t want any shenanigans back stage, so you guys are going to get a front-and-center seat.” The rest of the roster shooed the blue-brand wrestlers to their seats. “Paige, you and I will be joining the commentary table. And now for our champion. As you said, they are already in the ring.”

Braun took several large steps forward, coming nose to nose with Sheamus. Then he stepped aside to reveal Ember Moon. She straightened her fire braids and turned towards her corner. Braun sat on the rope so you and Paige could exit, then he followed.

The night ended peacefully, all things considered. During the match, the rosters stayed where they were supposed to, and you and Paige got along well.

In the ring, Sheamus was pleasantly surprised at how well Ember was able to keep him on his toes. He may have towered over by what seemed like two feet, but she was nimble. And her height made it difficult to properly perform a Brogue kick. Her favorite way to avoid it was to shift just barely to one side, then send him a snide look. But he had an advantage too. When she had him staggering, Ember jumped for a Full Eclipse. Sheamus caught her.

Instead of throwing her backward for the advantage, he gently returned her to her feet. Then he held out his hand. “I stand corrected about the prowess of the Raw brand. Pax?”

Ember took his hand. “For now.”


	26. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Survivor Series creeps closer, but Y/N is trying her best to keep the peace until the night of the PPV. Several parties are focused on making her job miserable and unexpected.

Monday Night Raw – November 5, 2018

You didn’t retaliate on Smackdown for their attempted invasion of Raw. Instead, a week later you were watching the recap of last Tuesday’s show in your office. Carmella and Asuka were to be part of the women’s team, and then Rusev on the men’s. You were just finishing watching Andrade Cien Almas beat the Miz for a team spot when Baron Corbin walked it.

“What, you didn’t watch it live last week?” he mocked. “Startin’ out as a model GM, Y/N.”

With a chuckle, you turned off the video. “I did actually. Then wanted to rewatch it while I set up the matches for tonight. By the end of Raw, both teams will have all their members and then we can start work finding the captain among them.” You sighed as Baron smugly shifted the Intercontinental title on his shoulder. “Did you want something, Baron?”

“Yeah. I know I’ve got a spot against the US Champ, Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series, but I want to be that fightin’ champion everybody kept harping on. Do I have your permission to host an open challenge, oh great general manager of Raw?” He gave you a mock bow.

“Permission granted. Is right now alright with his majesty?”

He growled but nodded. “Now is great. Thanks.”

Baron Corbin leaving your office was turning into your favorite thing.

***

The open challenge was answered faster than Baron could offer it. He smirked at the stage as Seth Rollins answered the call and rushed down to the ring. They were locked in a close assault before the bell rang.

Seth was the first to lose ground. He found himself backed into a corner where Baron could attack his ribs several times before the ref’s five-count. Once they were separated, he was able to gain enough of a momentum and upper hand to have Baron scrambling to stay away from him in the ring. And out of it, though never for long as the champ played ‘keep-away’ with his own body. 

It was a mistake to toss Baron towards the floor so close to a ring post. He swung back in and started punching at Seth from behind, taking back his own upper hand. He was the first to try for a series of pins, each one jumping closer to a three-count than the last. He was about to spin Seth in a Deep Six when the ref was pulled out of the ring. For several seconds, Baron waited for him to start the count before he noticed he was missing.

On the floor, Elias was debating with the ref about some trivial rule. The ref continuously tried to send him away and get back into the ring, but Elias was persistent. He was persistent long enough for Seth to catch his breath and wobble to his feet. When he noticed, he let the ref go with a thank you and stepped away from the ring.

Baron turned just in time to take a kick to the stomach, and then the canvas raced towards his face as a boot caught the back of his neck in a curb stomp. He was too addled and curled up to hear or see the count, and kicked out a second too late.

Once again, Seth was the Intercontinental Champion, and he was conflicted about the fact that Elias had helped him win. He escaped the ring before Baron could retaliate, and left for the locker room to think it over.

***

Backstage, Charly Caruso caught up with Elias. “Can you tell us why you helped Seth Rollins win the title match?”

He stopped. And smiled. “I’ve beaten Seth before. And I can do it again. I know what my strengths are, and I know when to give up on ever wanting a fair match with Baron.”

“You don’t think it’s a little… hypocritical to cost Baron the match and the title this way?”

Elias scrunched his brow. “Why, yes.” He waved away the obvious statement and continued with more truths. “I’ll have my title back soon. Because for all of Seth’s talk, he’s not willing to risk absolutely everything for the gold. He’s done too much of that already.”

***

The two following matches were for the next positions on Team Raw. The first was Ember Moon versus Mickie James. Ember was still running on her high from Evolution and was using it well except for one thing. Mickie was still running hot from her loss at Evolution.

They fought hard, but quick. Neither wanted a long, drawn-out fight for something each woman assumed was her right. Mickie for her time in the WWE, and Ember for winning the royal last week. The ref had to do his best to stay out of their way as they rushed around the ring, cornering each other and springing off the ropes. You would have been pleased to have either woman on the team. When it came down to the end, the high of an Evolution win outweighed the loss, and Ember claimed her spot with a Total Eclipse.

The second was between Mojo Rawley and Bobby Roode. They too wanted a quick match. Mojo had been fingertips away from several title opportunities and hoped that helping the men’s team win at Survivor Series would give him another one. Bobby, on the other hand, wanted the team spot for its own prestige. He’d been part of the team last year for Smackdown and wanted a double set.

It was power at full throttle down to the last seconds. Mojo had Bobby in his sights and smiled as his opponent straggled around. But it was a ruse. Bobby twisted at the last second and used a deep angle of leverage to keep Mojo’s shoulders against the canvas. He tried to show some sportsmanship by offering to help Mojo to his feet. Mojo refused in favor of rolling out of the ring and walking away on his own two feet.

***

Dr. M and Braun took their position by the backstage screen to watch the next match. It was the second and final triple-threat to determine who they would face next week for the tag team titles. At another screen, Drake Maverick and the Authors of Pain, last week’s winners, also watched the Ascension, then Titus World Wide, and finally the Revival make their way to the ring.

It was a different dichotomy of teams. All three teams had strong power tactics that worked best with quick tag exchanges. This backfired when everybody was doing the same thing as it was difficult to tire one another out. Titus thought he noticed first. He sent Apollo to trip up Konnor but missed seeing both members of the Revival entering the ring.

They quickly took control of the ring. Titus’s plan helped them by making sure Viktor had no one to tag, and also kept Apollo on the wrong side of the ring. They each pinned a man, even if only Dash Wilder was legal. Scott Dawson rushed the ref to lift their arms in victory, then rushed his partner out of the ring before the other two angry teams could recover. ****

***

When the show came back from commercial, Elias was awaiting his opponent for the Raw elimination team spot having given the crowd a quick private concert. Going by the surge in the arena’s Wi-Fi usage, it was going to be a viral hit. He cocked his head with a confused smile as Curt Hawkins’s music hit.

“I know what all of you are thinking,” he stated. “Curt Hawkins hasn’t won a match in forever, why should we trust him to be on the team? I’m glad you asked. I’ll tell you why. I’m going to be on the Raw Survivor Series team because the streak ends tonight when I pin Elias. And luckily for you, he was so nervous about our match that he cut his concert short. You’re welcome.”

Elias growled. If he had his way, this was going to be a short match.

Unfortunately for Curt, he did. That last little jab had irritated Elias enough that he did every debilitating move he knew. Before long, Curt was gasping for breath and crawling back into the ropes for a reprieve. He tumbled out an apology, but Elias ignored him and pulled him back into the ring. A halo powerbomb later, Elias had the team spot and Curt had another tally for his lost matches.

Jinder entered immediately afterward, flanked by Sunil and Samir Singh. He congratulated Elias on his way out of the ring. The Singhs helped Curt roll out of the other side of the ring so that it would be clear for Jinder’s entrance. Elias watched, bemused, then started to leave as Chad Gable’s music it. He eagerly went through his opening moves but was sent crashing forward.

Behind him, Baron stood to his full height and stared Elias down. They gave each other a wide birth, then went their opposite ways, which included Baron to the ring to take Chad’s place in the match.

Despite already having a match earlier in the night, Baron had Jinder on the offensive for most of the match. If he wasn’t going to be a manager, and wasn’t going to Survivor Series as a champion, then he was going to do everything he could to get into the PPV. Beating Jinder was his best chance. But Jinder had the Singhs, and they wanted to back up the man they thought deserved the spot more. For every advance he made, the brothers were there at the ropes to distract him. But it was always in view of the ref. They weren’t going to hit him. That would give Baron the spot. Their distractions almost cost Baron the match several times as Jinder used them to his advantage.

Still, despite the exhaustion and the handicap, Baron won. He smirked as he left the arena having successfully stolen his position at Survivor Series.

***

“Come in,” you said to the knocking at your door. You instantly regretted it. “What do you want, Dolph?”

He strutted into the room. “I have a proposition for you. I’ve already run it by Finn Balor, and he was agreed. I want a match with him tonight. It’s not a title match, but if I win, I get to be in the match against AJ Styles at Survivor Series.” He smiled brightly and shrugged with the self-brilliance of his plan.

You were not convinced. “What do you gain by being in that match? You can’t win both titles because the heavy-weight title belongs to Smackdown. Being in the match is going to change that-“

“I know, I know-“

“And it would be uneven. Paige and Shane would want to find someone from their roster to make it even.”

“That’s fine. Hey,” he nudged at you, “maybe Sheamus will take up that challenge.”

It took considerable effort not to react. “Do you have a point to being in this match, or is it just your usual ego?”

He held his hands up in defense and took a step back. “Here’s the thing, if I win tonight and help Finn at Survivor Series, he’s agreed to give me a title opportunity. A pre-selected open challenge. Call him, if you don’t believe me.”

You squinted at him. “Why would he need help with Styles? I have full confidence that Finn could beat him as he is.”

“You might have that confidence, but does Finn? He is going as a human after all.” He waited on bated breath.

Despite your better judgment, you agreed to the match and hoped it wasn’t a great con. “Fine. But I still don’t think you need to get involved. I’ll let Finn know about this match. You… do whatever it is you do before a match.”

***

Before the main event, there were still two matches to find out the last two women members of the Raw team. Up first was Alicia Fox versus Alexa Bliss. They started by smiling at each other good-naturedly. It was an opportunity like any other. No need to lose their heads.

Then the bell rang.

Alicia had been the captain last year, but Alexa wanted that spot this year. They expressed that vehemently by tossing each other around the ring. Out of the ring. Back into the ring. Rinse and repeat. A Twisted Bliss sealed the deal. She twisted the knife by asking if she could borrow Alicia’s captain’s gear once she had that too. Alicia screamed her out of the ring.

Nia Jax was up next against the returned Tamina. They’d had a moment at Evolution and wanted to continue it here. The ref was wise to stay out their way. Neither was used to being tossed around like a rag doll, but they enjoyed doing the same to the other woman.

Again and again, they took turns throwing the other to the canvas, desperately trying for a pin. When even that didn’t work, they took to the ropes, used one level, then two, to give them a height advantage and an extra boost from gravity. It was one such drop from Nia that caught Tamina in the chest. She was too busy fighting to breathe to kick out. Nia had the last spot on the women’s team.

All of Raw’s elimination tag teams were set.

***

True to your assumptions, Finn had no plans on actually letting Dolph into his match with Styles. He didn’t let up, didn’t let Dolph have enough room to breathe, much less fight back. To him, this was just another practice round for Survivor Series, but convincing Dolph to accept the match had been surprisingly easy once he had a good enough prize. A prize he was never going to give.

Dolph’s ego took as many hits as his body did. The coup de gras probably hurt his pride more than his chest, though his chest hurt too. He rolled to the end of the ring, trying to catch Finn’s boots before he left. He was unsuccessful and had to watch Finn’s smug face as he walked up the ramp.

“I am enough just as I am,” Finn called back. “Man or demon, this,” he held the Universal title up, “is mine. And it’s gonna be for a long time. You should do best to remember t’at.”

Dolph could do nothing but glower at him.

***

Backstage, there was pandemonium. Dean followed the commotion to several refs and trainers helping Braun out from under a pile of steel supports and chairs. The fallen monster was ignoring everybody’s questions but looked him dead in the eye.

“They got her. Shane McMahon and a bunch of Smackdown. They took Y/N.”

Dean ran his hands through his hair, fighting to take deep breaths. Everybody stilled and looked at him. He swallowed hard. “Stick to the plan. We know where she’ll be.”

***

* * *

***

Smackdown Live – November 6, 2018

Considering you didn’t really want to be there, you were happy to receive a warm applause. Paige and Shane walked you down to the ring for your official ‘welcome to Smackdown Live.’

“Thanks for that,” you asked once they were done. “And thanks for the shirt, though I would have preferred something a bit more…” you looked down at the blue t-shirt, “something red. But, no harm, no foul. I do have to ask, though. What exactly is the plan? Do I hang out with you guys until Survivor Series, or…?”

Shane patted your shoulder. “Don’t worry about the plan. All you have to do tonight is watch the show.”

“I do that anyway. But usually from home.”

“Well, this week you’ll be watching it here. Not here,” he rushed to add, motioning at the ring, “not in the arena. We don’t want you interfering in anything.”

You pseudo-gasped. “I would never.”

Paige sniggered and jumped in before Shane could say anything more. “Baby Girl, You’re also going to be watching the show with me. Maybe grab some coffee, have a little discussion about our shows. Manager to manager.”

This was going to be fun. “Okay then. I look forward to watching the show with such a guide. When do we start?”

She directed you to the ropes. “Right now if you’ll come this way.” Shane sat on the rope so you both could leave.

***

Her office was probably more comfortable than yours ever had been. A leather couch, her own coffee machine, and a large flat screen to watch the show on. Which you did. Together you watched as Jeff Hardy and Kofi Kingston fought for a spot on the Smackdown elimination team. Kofi won, but by then your discussion had digressed more into the wrestlers themselves than their matches.

“Right? Like, seriously, how can anyone have that much luggage?”

You huffed in agreement and fell back into the couch. “Can I ask how you guys have built up your tag teams so well? They seem very established and everybody looks super strong. How did you-“

“Easy, miss-former-journalist.” Paige laughed. “Can’t give away all our secrets.”

There was a knock at the door. Tye Dillinger entered, wearing his usual expression when R-Truth was a little confused about matches. The said man was right behind him. “Paige, Miss Y/N, I want to face Breezango at Survivor Series with my buddy… Tye Dillinger.” He slapped a hand onto Tye’s shoulder, who didn’t even flinch.

The two of you shared a look. You shrugged. “Why not?” You bit back a giggle as Tye’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “But I do have to tell you, Officer Fandango hasn’t been cleared to fight yet. Do you think you could fight Officer Breeze alone, but with Mr. Dillinger in your corner. I’m sure we could convince Fandango to be in Breeze’s.”

He nodded and held out his hand for you to shake. “That will be sufficient. Thank you. Tye?” He turned to face his friend. “Time to find Carmella, and to begin training.”

The two of you giggled as they left. Paige nodded. “That’s going to be a great match. Kinda wish I’d thought of it first.”

You tapped your bottom lip. “If I give you the credit, can you set up a match tonight for a coed tag team. I’ll set up a match with my group… assuming I’m there to do it. Something Like what we’ve been doing with the Mixed Match Challenge, but at Survivor Series.”

Again, Paige nodded. “I can arrange that right now.” She stood to leave and you moved to follow. “Oh, no. You can stay here. I’ll just be a minute, but in the meantime…” she poked her head out the door and waved somebody over, “you are not going to be left unattended. Sheamus.” The Irishman towered into view. “Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ll send someone to swap with you before your match.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, looking at you. As Paige left, he joined you on the couch to watch the next match.

***

Jey Uso was just finishing pinning Aiden English, but Sheamus was getting antsy. “Where are they?” He checked his phone again.

You laughed. “Roll a crate in front of the door if you have to but don’t be late for your match on my account.”

“I can’t-“

“We’re here!” Xavier Woods ran in. He bent over, panting. “We… whew, we made it. You’re good… to go to your match. E is… was right behind me.” He gave Sheamus a thumbs up as the man left for his match.

With a sigh, you started to drag Xavier to the door. “Come on. This fridge is out of water, and I’m not going to let you pass out.”

“But Paige said-“

“We’ll pass E in the hallway and then there’ll be two of you. Come on.”

He let himself be led along.

***

Sheamus made it to Gorilla in time for his entrance. He and Cesaro met Sanity in the ring or one last fight to see who would be taking the tag titles to Survivor Series. As champions, The Bar had to advantage that if either of them was hit by the third Sanity teammate, they would win through disqualification. They were trying their best to rile up Alexander Wolfe when they should have been more focused on Killian Dain tagging in from Eric Young.

The Swiss Cyborg turned a second to late and was taken to the mat. Wolfe played his part by keeping Sheamus on the floor and far away from preventing the count. Young was grabbing the belts while the bell was still ringing, ensuring they could make a quick escape as the new champions.

***

Paige flattened her palms against one another and placed them over her lips. Beside her, Shane took a deep breath. “Let’s try this again. Where is Y/N?”

The members of the New Day frantically looked between themselves. E shrugged. “She’s not missing, exactly. She’s probably in the building…”

“Probably?” Shane burst. He caught himself and turned to face anywhere but the trio.

Paige took over, calm for the most part. “You know who else might ‘probably’ be in the building by now? All of Raw’s roster! We have to find her.”

Xavier nodded. “Yep. Agreed. Getting right on that.” They left hurriedly, leaving their managers to silently panic.

***

You weren’t lost. You knew exactly where you were.

In the ring. Wearing a bright red shirt and holding a large flag with Raw’s logo on it. And you had a mic.

“How’s your guy’s night been so far?” You couldn’t hold back a laugh. “I have to say, it’s been pretty boring on my end. It was almost like being a human token in some version of capture the flag. But once they had me, Paige and Shane didn’t know what to do with me. If their plan was to throw Raw into chaos, I didn’t hear any news reports about anything burning down. Which is exactly why I didn’t leave Seth Rollins in charge.”

Paige and Shane came running out to the ring. He was too out of breath, so Paige had to talk. “You keep talking like you’ve escaped already. Maybe the plan is to strand you here.”

“I’m not too bothered,” you said twirling the flag.

“And why…” Shane puffed, recovering, “why is that? You’ve got nowhere to run, and no one to help you.”

“Oh really?” You bit your lip to hide a giggle. “Then how did I get the flag?” Your grin bubbled over as Braun’s music sounded. The managers backed down the ramp as he came on stage. Eventually, they joined you in the ring, while he stayed on the floor. You patted Shane’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. He’s only my exit strategy. Did you really think I wouldn’t have a contingency plan for this?”

He sputtered. “No. How-”

“Did you really think a few guys were going to be enough to take out Braun? Sweeties, he let them win that little tiff.”

Paige sputtered too.

“And you guys didn’t check to see if I had my phone with me? Amateurs. Really, I’d call it stupid, but it was stupid of you guys to have the idea in the first place.” You mouthed ‘now, now’ when Paige pointed at Shane. “I’m the person you know the least about. I have no wrestling history, and I’m only been in the company for not even six months.”

“But you’re a journalist.” Shane shook his head.

He wasn’t wrong; not entirely. “I was, yeah. A journalist who had delusions of grandeur and traveling the dangerous world. And, as it turns out… I’m very good at chess.”

You distanced yourself from them and walked to the side where Braun was. Gently, you arranged the flag in the ropes as if claiming the ring.

“If you’re smart,” you continued, “you’ll take my advice and wait until Survivor Series before doing anything else. And I might, _might_ , not retaliate more than this conversation we just had.”

Braun helped you off the apron and waved with you towards the managers. Then, as your music played, you left Smackdown Live.


	27. Powerhouses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The captains are decided for the Raw teams through a new system that the reader designed. One more challenge is issued for Survivor Series that puts the reader’s personal feelings on the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last pieces are in place for Survivor Series. And for the record, I had determined my version of the Smackdown women’s team almost two months ago. It made me giddy that I was so close, give or take Naomi since I’ve got her in a different match. Please let me know how you are liking the series. Enjoy!

Monday Night Raw – November 12, 2018

You walked out to the ring, smiling and bobbing your head along with your music. It took a minute to compose your self as you kept laughing. “So… Tuesday night was fun.” You giggled again. “I certainly learned a few things about how the blue brand runs a bit differently than we do. A lot of things learned, nothing lost. All in all, a profitable evening.”

It was impossible not to smile, even though you tried to descend into full manager mode. “Yet, the show must go on. Tonight is the last night before Summer Slam-“ The crowd laughed and you dropped your head with a sigh. “I just knew I was going to do that at least once. Now I do have to say the thing.” You took a deep breath. “ _Survivor Series_ is the one time of the year where Raw and Smackdown superstars go head to head.”

The Titantron lit up with the video of the Raw teammates. “On the guy’s team for Raw, there is Drew McIntyre, Elias, Bobby Roode, Dean Ambrose, and Baron Corbin. For the women’s team, Ember Moon, Nia Jax, Ruby Riott, Sasha Banks, and replacing Alexa due to injury, Alicia Fox. Would all of the team superstars come out here please?” As they filed down the ramp, you noticed one was missing. “You too, Baron.” He came out a minute later with a scowl.

As soon as they were all in the ring, you took to arranging them in pairs. “To figure out the captains this year, we’re doing something a little different.” You turned back to the crowd. “How many of you watch the Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook on Tuesday nights?” After the response, you nodded your head, impressed. “Cool. The following match is going to be something like that, except anybody can hit anybody. Preferably not your teammate. Well, except to tag them in, because you’ll have to. One team tagging in an opposite gender teammate will not automatically tag in all the others of the same gender. An actual tag will have to be made. The winning pair will be our male and female captains. Does everyone understand this?”

Alicia tentatively raised her hand and whispered you a question.

“No, you cannot change your partner. This match is also a test. A great captain has to be able to take whatever strategies are thrown at them. And they have to be able to work with the team that forms, despite any personal issue between members. So, no one can blame they didn’t make captain because of who ‘they got stuck with.’” Alicia frowned at first, but took a double take at Elias, her partner, and shrugged before sliding up close to him.

The match started soon after you left the ring. Each pairing had been built in a way you hoped would show off everybody’s strengths. Sasha was with Bobby, Ruby with Baron, Nia with Drew, and Ember with Dean. And of course, Alicia with Elias, who was a little unsure what to make of the whole thing.

Issues started off early when Nia and Drew missed getting a corner. Five teams and only four corners. Oops. She was able to keep him calm enough to negotiate sharing a corner with Sasha and Bobby. The guys stayed on opposite ends from each other. And it was amusing to watch how many pairs used rock-paper-scissors to determine who got to fight first. Ruby just took her chance, leaving Baron fuming. Nia, Bobby, Elias, and Dean joined her.

You were impressed. The entire match, there was never a time when there was all guys or all women tagged in at the same time. Baron was unfortunate to be the only guy in the ring one time. For the rest of the match after that, the men aggressively tagged in and out, trying to single out their fellow sex so they too could get tossed through the ropes by the ladies. The crowd was definitely enjoying it. The temporary alliances came out to be great team-building moments. And great tip-of-your-toes thinking when they fell apart.

In the end, Ember’s Total Eclipse took Ruby to the canvas, and everybody else was too exhausted to intercede. Dean bounced into the ring to congratulate her, then froze as she started congratulating him. They were going to be the captains of their teams.

A fact that seemed to hit Dean like a ton of bricks as the ref raised their hands in the air.

***

Tyler Breeze and Fandango waltzed into the view of their camera crew in a blinding display of matching blue sequined officer uniforms and matching aviators.

“Officer ‘Dango, reporting for duty.”

“Officer Breeze, reporting for duty.” They both saluted.

Fandango pointed at the lens. “We heard your challenge, R-Truth and Tye Dillinger. And we accept.”

“Well,” Tyler gently patted his partner’s chest, “I accept the challenge for the match. ‘Dango’s accepted the challenge to be in my corner at Survivor Series.”

“Sling or no sling, we’re going to win a… a win for Raw.”

Tyler dropped his voice. “Dango… you’re not in the match. You’re not cleared to compete.”

He readjusted his glasses and hat and tried again. “Sling or no sling… Breeze is going to win a win for Raw.”

“Close enough,” Tyler muttered. “We’ll see you at Survivor Series, Artie.”

“Artie?” Fandango’s brow scrunched as Tyler pulled out a piece of paper from his front pocket. He spelled out what was written. “R. Tie. I thought his name was Tye?”

Tyler shook his head. “You right, you right. We’ll see you at Survivor Series, R-Tye. No, that doesn’t sound as good.” He scratched his head. “Tye-Truth!”

Fandango nodded. “That was good, officer Breeze. I like it. Tye-Truth.”

“Thanks, Officer Fandango.”

Together they said, “to Survivor Series!” They shook hands and went opposite directions. A second later, Tyler crossed again to follow Fandango.

***

To find out who would face Naomi and Jimmy Uso in the coed match, you picked four superstars who didn’t make it onto the elimination tag team. Bayley and Jose had been attached at the hip since you told them. Tamina and Mojo were less enthusiastic, but both acknowledged each other as a powerhouse with potential.

That power continued into the match where they quickly gained the upper hand. Again, tagging in one wrestler did not automatically tag in the same sex. There were several amusing moments. Like Jose trying to get Tamina to dance. Which she did for a few seconds before blindsiding him. And Bayley attempting to Bayley-to-Belly Mojo, which turned into a regular hug that Mojo couldn’t escape. She was able to trip him up and hold him down for a two-count with that luck. The women were fighting on the outside when Jose deeply rolled up Mojo for the pin. The winning team left quickly, strategizing their match on Sunday before they’d left the arena.

***

“I can’t do it.”

“What?”

Dean ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t. I’m… it’s your first Survivor Series at all, let alone as GM. Stephanie will… if we lose-“

You held up the file in your hand over his mouth. “Let me worry about any issues that might arise from Raw’s performance, ‘kay? Have some faith in your baby cousin,” you chuckled. 

He pushed the file out of the way, incredibly serious. “I’m not Roman. I’m not the leader Raw needs. That you need, for the team.”

“Yes, you are,” you pushed back. Reaching up, you tapped the side of his head. “Somewhere in here is the brilliant, trash-talking, pep-talk master that got the Shield on a running start. You don’t have to be him. You just have to be you. It’s enough.”

Dean didn’t seem convinced but gave you a small smile before he left your office. Now it felt like the stakes were higher than ever. You just hoped that Dean would be okay, no matter what happened on Sunday.

***

The final round of the tag title tournament was next. The Revival and the Authors of Pain waited for the champions to arrive. They warily looked at one another as the fireflies came out to observe Dr. M and Braun making their entrance, titles over Braun’s shoulders. The teams claimed the center of the ring, staring at the champions as they reached the bottom of the ramp.

A flicker of lights later, Braun and Dr. M were in the center, and the others had been sent to stand ring-side. Braun handed the belts to the ref, and Dr. M motioned for the other teams to come back into the ring.

The bell rang as Rezar and Scott Dawson rolled into the ring and their partners took to the corners. Braun started first. He easily kept the men off their feet. Double choke-hold throws. Flinging one out of the ring and power slamming the other. He took turns tossing each into their corners so their teammates could tag in, then did the same to them.

Dr. M laughed as Drake Maverick watched his charges being demolished. He called to Braun, asking for a tag. Braun kicked Akam out of the ring and power slammed Dash Wilder before following the order. Dr. M entered the ring and picked Dash off the canvas. Scott tried to come to his partner’s aid but got caught by Braun. They were both knocked to the mat at the same time. Dr. M won the pin. Braun held their defended titles overhead. Then they were gone in the blink of an eye.

***

Dolph’s phone camera clattered to life. “I have my own challenge for someone on Smackdown Live.” He grinned. “Sheamus, I want to see you at Survivor Series. We’ve both been in the business for a long while, and it could be argued that we are the best. Isn’t that the point of Survivor Series? To identify the best of both brands?”

He looked away from the camera with a growl. “And there’s a more personal reason why we need to figure which of us is the best man.” Dolph side-eyed. “And I think we both know what that reason is.”

The camera shifted to front view, showing you talking with Seth and Finn Balor. When the camera flicked back, he smirked. Then the picture cut out.

***

Before the end of the show, both Seth and Finn had come to you with an idea. They were champions about to be facing champions. It only made sense that they should face each other tonight as practice. You agreed and set them in the main event.

Each man took great pride in showing off his skills. They had fought many times before, this was just a continuation of that but with an alternate motive. Yes, they wanted to beat each other. But this was also about making each other look good and giving an old friend a boost going into Sunday. Using the same move at the same time always made them smile. They shook hands throughout the match, restarting on a high note in rounds only they were paying attention to.

Finn dropped Seth with a sling-blade. He beamed and was about to climb the ring post for his finisher when Seth pulled him back to the center of the ring. Finn bent in half from a kick to his stomach and then dropped with the curb stomp. He was smiling and shaking his head even before Seth had moved away from the three-count.

Seth went for a mic and tossed on to Finn as soon as he was back on his feet. “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Summer Slam should have gone that one time.”

“Are ya still harpin’ on that? You can’t change the past, Seth.”

The Kingslayer shrugged. “Still, if that’s all you got, maybe I’ll challenge you and hold both titles by the end of the year.”

Now Finn was intrigued. “Is t’at so?”

“Yeah.” They came to stand barely a step part.

Finn poked at Seth’s belt on his shoulder. “Anytime, anyplace. Say… Clash of Champions?”

“See you then. Good luck at Survivor Series.”

“Same ta you.”

They shook hands, then tapped their titles together, ending the show.

***

The final results of the Smackdown elimination teams came were full of powerful and talented wrestlers.

On the men’s team: Cesaro, Jey Uso, Rusev, and Andrade with Kofi Kingston as the captain.

For the women’s Team: Asuka, Mandy Rose, Charlotte, Sonya Deville, and Carmella as captain.

And, against your wishes, Sheamus accepted Dolph’s challenge. So, you began to make plans. Plans nobody was going to like, but ones that were necessary, all the same.


	28. Not a Total Loss (Survivor Series)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader has to take a match into her own hands when one of her wrestlers is attacked backstage. With that against her, and the other events of Survivor Series not playing to her favor, how can she prove to Stephanie McMahon that she is still the best option for a General Manager?

Survivor Series – November 18, 2018 – Los Angeles, CA

Before the show could even get started, there was one more fight that needed to come into being. It wasn’t your problem. The stars were part of William Regal and Drake Maverick’s crews, and part of it was up in the air until after Saturday’s NXT: War Games. The cruiserweight champion, Buddy Murphy was pleased to see Tommaso Ciampa retain the NXT championship. So, on Sunday they met each other in the ring as part of the pre-show. NXT versus 205 Live.

You were in the PPV booth with Renee, Shane, and the regulars watching the match and listening to the join commentary team make their usual commentary. Mario’s ‘Mama Mia’ never failed to make you smile. Though first, you had to flinch. Ciampa technically weighed less than Murphy, but only by three pounds. And his stringy form was making some problems for Murphy each time he tried to catch him. But when he did… there was nothing Ciampa could do. The cruiserweight wasn’t one of the highest flyers, but he was plenty. If Ciampa couldn’t get up, then he was repeatedly at risk of getting pinned. Luckily for him, he was a sly character. He didn’t have to get to his feet, all he had to do was roll out of the way of a landing and let gravity fight against Murphy for him.

This strategy won. Ciampa’s hand was eventually held high, and he even went as far as to put a weary boot on Murphy’s chest for the event.

***

The wrestlers were still leaving the ring when a techie came up to you at the booth. He whispered in your ear something that made you jump out of your chair and rush back stage.

When you arrived, the trainers were already taping up Dolph’s knee and shoulder. “What happened? Dolph, if this is some trick to get out of the match-“

“I was attacked from behind. I’ve been looking forward to this match and you know it! Why would I have myself attacked?” He tried to stand to say as much closer to your face, but his knee gave out. The trainer had him lay back on the concrete floor. He gave you a look and shook his head. Dolph noticed and sighed. “I’m sorry, Y/N.”

You couldn’t tell if he was apologizing for getting attacked, or for challenging Sheamus in the first place. You assumed the former. It wasn’t his fault. “It’s okay. I’ll think of something.” You turned and walked a few steps away. “Something.”

***

The pop for Breezango was incredible. Although Fandango wasn’t going to be competing, it was still good to see their team entrance. Arm sling and all. The reaction for R-Truth and Tye Dillinger was almost as good, but most of the energy went towards rapping along. Tyler and ‘Dango got into it too.

It was a fun match. Tye and ‘Dango stayed on the floor while Tyler and R-Truth performed acrobatics against one another. Impressed by R-Truth’s flexibility, Tyler tried to do a split.

Tried.

Thankfully, his own flexibility helped him spring into his own impressive stance. And the battle continued. There was a five-second dance break, and some fashion feux-pas tickets given out to some audience members on the front row, and to Tye. He didn’t take kindly to this and got up on the apron to argue it with Tyler, which gave R-Truth the opening he needed. He rolled the officer up and won the pin. Tye tossed his ticket in ‘Dango’s face and left with his partner having won the first score of the show for Smackdown.

***

* * *

***

Survivor Series officially started.

Sheamus made his entrance alone since Cesaro was going to go solo later. Backstage, you were in a rush and bumped into Shane coming back from the pre-announce table.

“What are you doing?” He motioned up and down to your hastily thrown-together gear. Technically it wasn’t really gear. Just some flexible skinny jeans and a black tank-top with the Raw logo on it.

You finished your hand tape. “What do you mean ‘what are you doing?’ Did you think I wouldn’t have a back-up plan?”

“You can’t just…”

“I know. Like you have never inserted yourself into a match. Or erroneously filled a team member spot or main evented or wore black and white stripes. Nah. Heaven forbid a manager get involved. Tonight, you guys are just going to have to deal.” You smirked and took a deep breath, squaring off to him. “A manager does what they have to, to keep the show going.”

Shane sputtered as you side stepped him to enter the arena.

Sheamus laughed as soon as your music hit. He leaned against a corner as you lifted a mic to your lips.

“Sorry, Sheamus. Dolph Ziggler won’t be able to fight you tonight. Oops,” you shrugged and continued down the ramp. “But what kind of manager would I be to deny the WWE Universe a unique match?” The mic bounced off floor and you entered the ring. The bell rang shortly after, and you began to circle one another.

Right out of the gate, Sheamus sling shot you into a corner and tried to take you out with a Brogue Kick. You dodged it easily, laughing. He smiled back and waited for you to take a turn attacking him. Before he could change his mind, you bounced off the bottom rope and swung a punch to his face, shaking your hand after the collision. He stumbled back, shock giving way to being impressed. There weren’t taking turns after that.

He caught your Seth-taught frog splash, and he was too big for you to Spear. You were to quick for him to trap in the ropes for chest slaps, and your self-preservation kept avoiding getting hit to hard. The ref was having more trouble getting you two to fight than the usual keeping wrestlers apart. You wanted to keep smiling at each other too much. After another evasion, you spun to sit on the ring post. When Sheamus turned to find you, you gave him a finger wave. Then you jumped, effectively catching him at the shoulders and dropping him to the canvas for the first attempted pin. It didn’t work, but that feeling of ‘almost’ was addicting.

You wore him down a few kicks at a time. Due to his tall figure and your lack of equal height, you aimed more at his thighs and stomach to cut him down to size. Occasionally you forgot to keep your arms up to block and took a punch to the head or shoulders that sent you spinning away. You had to avoid another Brogue Kick, wincing as his boot barley missed your face. With his knee still resting on the top rope, you scaled the turnbuckles and spun to give your punch more force. It hit Shamus square in the jaw and sent him to his back. One, two, three later, you won Raw’s first score of the evening. You had felt him tense at two and a half, but he didn’t go through with it. Something you confronted him about while the crowd cheered.

“Raw’s goin’ ta need the win. We’ve got the better teams.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.” Hiding a true smile with a smug grin, you held out your hand for his. He took it and gave you the handshake. “Good luck with the rest of the show, Miss Manager.”

“The same to your team, Mr. Sheamus.”

***

The second match was the first of the one-on-one matches. Natalya and Becky Lynch took a second to observe each other after the bell rang. For Natalya, it was just another match. Another chance to show how she deserved to be the women’s champion, for Raw and for herself. Becky saw it a different way, and she had expressed as much with her Twitter account. Natalya was another example of a legacy winning over the individual hard work of a roster. Because of this, Becky started the match at the same intensity as she did with her last woman standing match with Charlotte. Fast and brutal.

Desperate to slow the match to a glacial pace so she could catch a breath, Natalya caught Becky up in a series of holds. With each, Becky scrambled to the ropes or was able to contort her way out. So, Natalya changed her game. She met Becky blow for blow, and kick for kick. Dragged her to the center of the ring for holds. And still, Becky fought her way out. If she couldn’t beat Natalya, then her victory over Charlotte was a fluke.

And that could not happen.

When Becky had repeatedly beaten Natalya down to the canvas, she finished her off with a Dis-arm-her. She left the ring holding her blue title high, even as the ref handed the red one back to Natalya still recovering.

***

The women of Raw squared off against the women of Smackdown. The blue brand ladies were running on a high note with their champion’s victory. Carmella was already bragging that she was going to challenge Becky next when she led her team of Charlotte, Sonya, Mandy, and Asuka to the next win. Ember rolled her eyes but kept that plan in mind. She turned to Nia, Sasha, Alicia, and Ruby for a few last words, then left the ring to give the first-round ladies their space.

Sonya and Ruby faced-off first. Sonya pointed back at Mandy. She had back-up from her own mini team is she needed it. Ruby was by herself in a team of people she had taken great pride in destroying. They met in a head-lock, with Ruby taking the opening advantage. They struggled back into the Raw corner, where Sasha tagged herself in and quickly flipped Sonya into the bank statement. The Smackdown team flooded the ring, dragging their teammate from the hold. The teams were forced away from each other by the ref, who noted the change of tags to Carmella and Alicia.

Each woman had a turn to shine. And when the moment was over and she began to dim, another tagged in and picked up where she left off. Alicia eliminated Mandy. Sonya eliminated Alicia. Ember and Asuka had a long engagement, but neither was able to eliminate the other. Nia tagged herself in and eliminated Asuka after a while that left her battered and bruised. Charlotte took that advantage and quickly rolled her into a Figure Eight, relying on her teammates to keep the others at bay. Ruby tried to sneak in to catch Charlotte off-guard but missed the tag that brought in Sonya, who eliminated her with a series of rough punches.

It was down to Ember and Sasha against the three remaining Smackdown women. Sasha leapt in and caught Sonya in another Bank Statement. This one was successful with the others engaged on the floor. Carmella was nowhere to be seen, leaving it to Charlotte to answer the empty tag. Outside on the floor, Ember was hunting for Carmella. She found her hiding behind a camera crew. Carmella screamed, making Charlotte turn from where she had Sasha ready for a pin. Sasha leapt up and rolled Charlotte onto her back, holding her down just long enough for the pin. They glared at each other. The Queen took her time leaving the ring, making sure Sasha was looking at her instead of watching her own back. Which is where Carmella entered with a superkick as soon as Sasha turned around.

Ember slid into the ring, eyes aglow with her victim in her sights. Carmella backed up into the ropes, ordering the ref to keep her back. She tried to escape to the floor, but Ember met her on whatever side she landed on. Carmella finally changed her tactic and fought back. She was captain. And she was going to make sure she was number one contender for her brand’s women championship. She tossed Ember around by her hair. Kept her on her knees. Spun her into corners so she could hit her fast in a place where she couldn’t get away. When it looked like Ember wasn’t going to make it, she turned to the crowd and started to gloat. By the time she had turned back, Ember was on the top turnbuckle. Carmella shrieked. It was cut short by the Total Eclipse and the following pin.

***

The coed teams of Jimmy and Naomi Uso, and Bayley and No Way Jose met in the ring next. The women said hello to one another, and the guys shook hands. Then the bell rang. The match had the same rules as the Mixed Match Challenge. Naomi and Bayley started first. They were cordial to each other but didn’t hold back. Naomi was almost pinned after a series of Bayley-to-bellies. After she kicked out, she rolled out of Bayley’s grasp and tagged in Jimmy. Jose danced in from the other side, hip bumping Bayley on his way by. Jimmy danced for a while with him. But when his back turned, Jimmy ran for the ropes, drop kicking Jose just as he came back around. Jose kicked out at two, making Jimmy tag in Naomi with a huff.

It continued like that. Each team trying their hardest to beat each other down. Tagging out when it was time to switch tactics. In the end, Bayley and Jose didn’t have nearly as much practice working together as the married couple. There were no hard feelings after the pin. Goodbyes were said in a similar way as to the greeting at the beginning of the match. And all four of the wrestlers walked out of the arena together.

***

Logic left the building. Sanity entered the arena. And then Braun Strowman and Dr. M. The doctor wore a blood red lab coat with a ripped blue pocket. A detail that did not go unnoticed by the opposing team. Before they could take the fight to him, Braun took it to them. He controlled most of the fight while Dr. M watched from the floor and kept an eye on their third member, Wolfe. For the longest time, it didn’t matter if Killian or Eric were in the ring. Braun was more powerful, and he only had minimal difficulty in powerslamming Killian. But when they finally cornered him and took turns tagging in, they were able to get him to his knees.

Wolfe cheered them on while Dr. M scaled the ring, holding out his hand for the tag. Braun roared and burst from the corner. He staggered to the center of the ring where Young stopped him with a pair of fists to his spine. He fell to one knee again, taking the blows while Dr. M called out words of encouragement. Words that were strange and twisted and made Young pause. It was enough. Braun broke forward and tagged in Dr. M. Young was caught in the kiss-n-twist and Braun kept Killian from interfering. Raw had another win, making it even against Smackdown.

***

The tie did not hold for very long. Shinsuke Nakamura and Seth had a match for the ages. United States champion versus the Intercontinental champion. The match was constantly moving, jaw dropping, and had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Even Corey was enjoying himself. Seth responded to Nakamura’s “come on!” with a shrug and a near-pedigree. His attempted frog-splash was diverted into a roll as he was thrown over Nakamura’s shoulder on the way down. They danced around the ring like the veterans they were, sometimes having to take a moment to smile in awe at their opponent.

Seth scooped Nakamura up in his northern lights suplexes, making the king of strong style wobble half-way to his feet, seconds away from falling to his knees. It was the opening he’d been waiting for. But on his way by, Nakamura ducked, and Seth tripped over his leg. Seth came back up, spinning around and ready for anything. Except a kinsha-sha. When Seth could blink without his vision blurring, he stared incredulous at his victorious opponent ascending the ramp.

***

The Prince of Phenomenal met the Demon King once again. But this time, as man versus man. Finn passed his Universal championship out of the ring, and AJ did the same with his WWE Heavyweight title. When the bell rang, AJ rushed Finn, catching him in a head lock and pushing him back into the ropes. Finn wrapped himself up in the ropes, hanging out there until the ref was able to get AJ to back off. Then it was his turn. With a series of rope bounces, he had AJ flipped onto the canvas, kicked to the face, and down for the first attempted pin. They rolled away from each other, the seriousness of their matches setting in. Raw was down a win. If Finn won, the men’s elimination team had a chance to win the who pay per view for the show. If AJ won, it wouldn’t matter.

This lit a fire in both of them, making them run and jump and crash into one another. When they weren’t leaping at each other from high, they were interfering with the ropes and making everyone watching flinch with the landings. AJ jumped up on the ropes to do a Phenomenal Forearm to Finn on the floor, but he spun out of the way, leaving AJ with nothing to do with his momentum but fall back into the ring. When he came back up, Finn was there was a kick to the face. The Universal champion scaled the turnbuckles and finished the match with a coup de grace. Raw still had a chance. And the two leaders gave one another a ‘too sweet’ after taking back their titles.

***

Before the men’s elimination match started, while the teams were still staring each other down, Dean and Jey stood across from each other. Dean’s fist let go into a [Shaka](https://kellinthelamp.tumblr.com/post/120557621238/ambreigns-and-their-handshake-credit-to) that Jey mirrored. They shook their fists like they were tossing back a drink, then shared a smile. Kofi let them have their moment, but as captain, he scooted Jey over so he could stare Dean down.

The captains started the match. At the bell, Dean was already attacking Kofi’s head and shoulders with punches. Kofi was able to grab him around the waist and push his back into a corner but then needed to take a breather. He got it by placing his hand over Dean’s face and leaning ever so slightly. When Kofi had his rest, he stepped back, leaving Dean confused. But only for a second. Dean kept Kofi on the defense for most of the rest of their time in the ring. With a kick to the stomach, Kofi fell with a Dirty Deeds. Almost. At the last second, he kicked out and twisted Dean up for the pin.

Before the Raw captain could roll out of the ring in shock, Drew McIntyre was in the ring with a Claymore kick that eliminated Kofi. Cesaro stepped to him. The men were equal in strength and skill and height. Which made it hard for either to gain the advantage. When neither could even take the other down to a knee, they both backed off, tagging in different partners. Bobby Roode and Jey Uso entered the ring. Again, there was a match in skill. But Jey gained the upper hand and lucked out with a heavy drop-kick. Bobby Roode was eliminated.

Baron stepped in, angry that his team was falling apart so quickly. He ran at Jey, who dodged and sent the lone wolf out of the ring, who spun around the ring post and was back in the match in seconds. With a Deep Six, Jey Uso was taken out of the match. Elias and Drew rushed into the ring as Cesaro, Rusev, and Andrade came in to keep Baron from taking advantage of their downed teammate. Once he was safely out of the ring, everybody backed off. With the encouragement of the rest, Rusev entered the match. Baron narrowly avoided a Matcha Kick that would have made him vulnerable to a hold. Both Drew and Elias held out their palms for a tag. Baron growled and shied away. He should have been captain. If he had, they probably would have won the match by now. Another furious attack later, Rusev was eliminated.

Team Smackdown was livid. Baron wisely tagged in Drew when Cesaro entered. With a simple trip, Cesaro had Drew on his back and in perfect position for a spin. He let Drew go as Baron tried to interfere, slinging Drew into Raw’s corner where Baron could tag himself in. He was caught and spun too. Elias held his hands up in defense under Cesaro’s glare. Instead of interfering, he rolled Drew to the floor and pushed Baron further into the ring. Dizzy, Baron wasn’t able to fight back as well as he had before, and he was eliminated. Elias eased into the ring. He used Cesaro’s anger against him and continually beat him down to the canvas until he was able to roll him up for a fighting pin. Andrade rushed in just as Elias and Drew switched. No matter what they were going to do, he was a fresh man who had more energy than them combined. He eliminated Drew first, still reeling from Cesaro’s spinning. Then, avoiding Elias’s heavy hits and dangerous knees, Andrade was able to pin Elias.

Smackdown won Survivor Series with five matches to Raw’s four. Their first winning year.

***

* * *

***

Monday Night Raw – November 19, 2018

It was inevitable. Still, you flinched to hear Stephanie’s boots approaching. Hopefully, your plan was going to be enough to wow her and the disappointed universe.

“This is unacceptable,” she spat, “we are the leading show for the WWE, and we should have won. You-“

“Hey, take it easy. I think we did pretty well, all things considered. We only lost by one match, and I won mine. On the fly, might I add.” You sighed. “In the long run, we’ve still got the lead. Raw won the last two years, and this has been Smackdown’s first winning Survivor Series. We’ll get them next year. I don’t really know why you’re so upset. Everyone tried their hardest, and we put on some great matches. Not a single won was an easy win. In my eyes, we are still the leading show. Especially now that everyone will work that much harder to prove it again. Don’t worry.”

“But-“

“Stephanie.” You gave her a soft smile. “It’s okay. This is Monday Night Raw. We will excel like we’ve always done. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an announcement to make.” You headed for the door but turned and offered for her to go first. “Shall we?”

***

The women of Raw were already waiting in the ring when you and Stephanie arrived. Nervously, you spun the mic between your palms. “Well done, ladies. All of you. In my eyes, you were all a success in showing off the best female talent in the WWE. So, I think it’s time for a change. Another milestone. This Saturday at Starrcade, there is going to be a tag match. Four on four. The winners of that team will get first pick. ‘First pick of what’ you might ask. Well, the final product isn’t done yet, but Raw is going to have women’s tag team titles.”

The women gasped and hushed each other so you could continue.

“The winning team of Starrcade will get first pick of their teammate for the tournament to determine the first ever female tag team champions.” With a smile you let them flock you for hugs and thank you’s and handshakes. “Good luck everyone.”

You held the ropes open for your boss. She shook her head and met you on the apron. “And you were going to tell me… when?” Stephanie smirked. You were still in trouble, but not nearly as much as you had been.

In the ring, Ember picked up a mic before everyone could leave the ring. “Natalya, could you stay a minute?” She handed her mic to the champion, then went for another. “I’d like to have a word.”

“I’m all ears,” Natalya said brightly, motioning to her trademark cat-ear headband.

“You lost your match.”

She shifted the title uncomfortably on her shoulder. “So did a lot of people. Why? Do you think you could have done better?”

Ember cocked her head. “Maybe I do. I was the captain of the winning elimination team. And as such, I deserve a title shot. And I want it at Clash of Champions.”

Biting her lip and looking off into the crowd, Natalya scoffed. “What? Starrcade too soon for you?”

“No,” Ember sing-songed. “I’m going to be busy already. I’m going to be in that tag match. Making history. And then… I’m coming for your title.” She pouted mockingly. “That’s enough time for you to prepare. Get those last pictures and stuff, right? They’re all you’re gonna have of that title once I claim it.” She dragged a finger down the red and white, then across Natalya’s shoulder blades on her way around to the ropes. “Enjoy it while you can.”

***

Backstage, Sasha stopped in her tracks and rolled her eyes. She turned around to go the other way, but Bayley stopped her.

“Sixty seconds. That’s all I need. Hear me out.” She waited for Sasha, who crossed her arms with a sigh and set her gaze on her former best friend. “The world is changing. It’s getting bigger, and there are new opportunities. Like the new Raw women’s tag titles. We both know the group that’s going to do anything to get their grubby hands on them first. But what if they didn’t make it.”

Sasha squinted. Bayley’s time was almost up, but now she was listening.

“We are the best at what we do. But for the past several months we’ve turned it against one another. It’s weakened both of us. You don’t have to like me. I don’t have to like you.”

“We just have to work together,” she added.

Bayley grinned. “I’m glad we can agree on something.” After half a nervous breath, she held out her hand. Sasha took it and gave it one hard shake before continuing her way down the hall.

***

“I once held the whole world in my hands.” Dr. M peered out over his firefly followers with Braun standing right behind him. “I rose up and up and then fell into a pool that cleaned out the cobwebs in my mind. And I realized, the world I held was not rotten and in need of salvation by fire like I had originally thought. I realized it was just sick. In need of a doctor. It still needs salvation, make no mistake. Salvation from the depths the WWE has sunk to.”

Dr. M stroked at his beard, newly trimmed but still dark against the bright white lab coat. “This Saturday there is to be a match. Whoever comes out on the other side will be the number one contender for these badges of honor.” Behind him, Braun lifted the tag titles to show them off. “But there is another, more desperate matter at hand.” He breathed deep. “The sickness. The illness that has taken these athletes and lulled them into a false security. To heal anyone, I must first go to the one who was infected first.” Dr. M grinned. “Starrcade. Then… the purification begins.”

***

“Dean. Dean!” Seth jogged to catch up with Dean. “Where’ve you been all day?”

“Nowhere,” he mumbled. Dean shrugged Seth’s hand from his shoulder, but Seth grabbed at his forearm.

Seth shook his head. “No, no, no, no, no. Don’t avoid me.”

“I’m not going to talk to you about this.”

“I know, but Y/N is busy-“

“She’s in hot water because of me. I wasn’t going to talk to her either, brother.”

“No. Just listen.” Seth succeeded in getting Dean to face him. “It’s not your fault. There were four other guys in that match. And four other matches that could have ended differently. A whole mess of things that were out of your control.”

“Actually,” Baron stepped into the light, overshadowing Dean. “It was. You were the captain. There were four of us who could have started that match better. You got us off on the wrong start.” He leaned closer to Dean’s face as your cousin bit back a growl.

Seth stepped between them. “Hey. You didn’t do so hot yourself, mister lone wolf. You made sure the team lost when you wanted to do everything by yourself.”

“I eliminated more of Smackdown than anyone else. And who are you to get into this? One of those ‘other four matches’ was yours. And you lost it.”

“Shut up,” Seth and Dean chorused. Just Baron was about to bite something back, they froze at the sound of a guitar.

Elias walked up. “I have to agree… with Baron.” Everyone looked confused. Including Baron. “You also lost your match, Seth. You’re supposed to be ‘the man’ and this great pinnacle of wrestling skill. But you fell flat,” he said, twanging his guitar strings. “A champ is not a champ if he can’t win matches.”

Dean had to be the one to step between them. “You’re the one that got pinned, cockatoo.”

Seth pushed against his arm. “And I bet you think you’re the guy to step up, huh?”

He grinned. “If you think you can handle it after such a sweeping loss.”

“You’re on.”

Elias’s eyes raked over the title on Seth’s shoulder as he turned to leave. Baron gave one last hard look at Dean, then went his way too.

***

It didn’t take long for the Seth and Elias’s match to get nasty, even with Dean there to run interference from anybody who tried to get involved. Seth flattened himself against the barricade as Baron swept past. Baron moved to attack again, but Dean hit him from behind. Elias reached over the ropes and grabbed at Baron’s vest, effectively unbalancing him over the apron where both Seth and Dean could attack his rib cage. When Elias let go, Baron sagged to the ground where Dean could keep a close eye on him.

“Stop messing around and get in here,” Elias said, nodding towards the ring. He stepped to the center of the ring, ignoring Seth’s dramatic huffs.

They kept going. Elias was sure that the match with Nakamura would have exhausted Seth, but he was mistaken as to the amount. With a series of Northern Light suplexes, Coasts to Coasts, and a Curb Stomp, Seth retained his Intercontinental Championship.

Later that night, you announced that the four of them would have a match at Starrcade on Saturday.

***

“Congrats on your win tonight. To bad about your loss on Sunday.”

“Yeah, yeah” Seth chuckled, shifting his title on his shoulder. “I’ve already been over that tonight, and I’m not looking to do it again.”

“T’at’s too bad. So much for Monday Night Rollins. Guess that doesn’t extend to other nights of the week.”

Seth spun. “Really? That’s how you see it?”

“T’at’s how I see it.” Finn’s forehead creased as he watched the cogs turn in Seth’s head. “Watcha thinkin’ about there, Seth?”

The man chuckled. “You remember a couple weeks ago I said I would hold both titles by the end of the year? How would you like the chance to prove me wrong?”

Finn slowly grinned. “It’s one of my fav’rite things. Shall we set tha date for Clash of Champions?”

“Yes. Unless you lose your match to Drew tonight. And again, on Saturday. Then… I guess I’ll have to make the deal with him.” He gently patted Finn’s shoulder before walking off.

***

The main event was to determine if Drew McIntyre was going to have a title shot at Starrcade. But he had to beat Finn first. Which he did, carrying the rage and frustration over from losing in the elimination match. Finn’s high over beating AJ Styles again wasn’t enough to keep up with the Scotsman.

The combination of a Glasgow Kiss and a well-timed Claymore Kick wiped the champion out for the pin. And put at risk Finn’s title reign.


	29. A Dangerous Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starrcade is a success. On Monday night, some secrets about what happened at Survivor Series come out, making some people doubt the Reader.

Starrcade – November 24, 2018 – Cincinnati, OH

The big eight-women tag match started the Raw matches for Starrcade. Ruby Riott sneered at the other team from between Tamina and Mickie James. On the other side, Nia Jax, Rhonda Rousey, and Ember Moon glared back. The last two members of the teams, Sasha Banks and Bayley, kept a level gaze with each other. Something Natalya noticed from her seat on commentary.

“That Sasha-Bayley glare is going to lead to something either disastrous or something great!”

Nia and Tamina started off. Their moves made the ring shiver, and their teammate’s legs to wobble on the apron. Ruby tagged herself in and did a decent job keeping Nia off her feet. Rhonda tagged herself in, sending Ruby running back toward the ropes so the ref had to make her back off. Thwarted, she turned to Ruby’s corner and knocked everybody off the apron. Sasha was gone before she got there, running along the apron and dropping to the floor with Ruby’s neck in her hands, making it bounce between the ropes.

“Told you!” Natalya shouted, slightly disappointed that the rest of Sasha’s team didn’t notice.

Bayley ran around and checked to make sure nobody did, taking out Mickie on the way by and starting a series of conflicts on the floor. The rotation continued inside the ring, keeping the ref’s head on a swivel. Ember tagged in from Bayley, and caught Mickie in Total Eclipse, ending the match. Sasha shot one more look at Bayley, who nodded back.

***

Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas bounced around in the ring, hyping up the crowd until Titus and Apollo Crews came in. When their match began, it was pretty even. Titus and Bo started it off with a quick series of hits and moves. Curtis had a hard time keeping up with Apollo’s acrobatics, but he took him to the mat for an almost pin with his strength.

In the corner, Titus disappeared from sight, which was incredible considering his height. When Apollo and a camera were able to circle around the ring post, they found his tag partner on the ground with Braun Strowman sitting on his chest and raining blow after blow into his chest. The ref called for the disqualification, making Titus and Apollo the number one contenders for the Raw tag titles.

“How are they supposed to fight their best after such a beat down?” Michael Cole wondered.

Corey Graves sighed. “I think that was the point, Cole.”

***

The dark arena was illuminated by several beams of light onto a single spot. “Hello, I am Elias.” He strummed, playing out a cheerful ditty. He paused and looked around. “You know, I should have lowered my expectations for Cincinnati. Even still, they would never have been low enough for this crummy town. I mean, what do you expect from the birthplace of a guy like Dean Ambrose?” He chuckled and went to play again, but Baron’s music interrupted.

“We don’t have time for this, Elias. Not that anyone actually wanted to hear you play.” Baron strutted down the ramp.

“Nobody really wants to see you wrestle either, but here we are,” Elias shot back. He grinned wide and ‘welcomed’ Baron into the ring. His momentary tag partner growled on his way through the ropes.

Seth and Dean entered next, the white and gold belt on the shoulder furthest from Dean. He tapped it, looking pointedly at the two men in the ring. Dean tightened his wrist tape.

They all fought hard, each barely giving the other an inch. Dean almost had Baron in a Dirty Deeds, but Elias swooped in and helped spin him out of it. Seth rushed in with a quick tag, only to catch a jumping knee from the Drifter, dropping to the canvas like a stone. The referee was able to usher their opponents out of the ring while Dean rolled Seth back to the corner so he could claim the tag. He had to fight both of them while Seth recovered. Just in time, they traded spots so Seth could Curb Stomp Baron.

Individually, the losers made their way back up the ramp while Dean and Seth mocked them from the ropes.

***

“The following match is for the Universal Championship!”

Finn held up his title, standing still even though the referee held an arm up to keep him from moving forward. Drew McIntyre was still too. Jojo left the ring quickly, rushing to her seat safe and far away from the ring long before the bell rang. It was for the best because it was still ringing when they engaged.

From every hit and bounce of Finn across the ring, it looked like Drew was going to take the night and the title. He was quicker than Finn. Three steps ahead. Studied in Finn’s patterns. Every which way that Finn turned, Drew was there with a strong fist or a Scottish boot that never quite made a full impact.

Renee pressed her headphones tighter onto her ears, listening intently to the ring mics. “Can… can you guys hear that?” The announce table got quiet. “Is… is Finn-“

“It sounds like he’s growling.” Corey gulped.

Drew tossed the champion across the ring again towards the ropes. Instead of bouncing off of them like usual, Finn caught the top ropes and froze. His back muscles rippled like he was still in a fight, though he wasn’t moving. When he turned, Drew involuntarily took a step back. Balor had the reigns. And he took vengeance on being toyed with by taking his turn to throw Drew around the ring. He finished with a sharp Coup de Grace and a flex that eased away into Finn’s exhausted, but proud, smile.

***

***

Monday Night Raw – November 26, 2018

When the show began, you and Stephanie McMahon were standing in the ring. There was a small, tall, round table between you, and the Raw women’s division on either side. With a deep breath to calm your nerves, you ignored Stephanie’s hard ‘impress me’ face and dove right into what you had to say.

“Twenty-eighteen has been a monumental year for the women’s division. Most recently there was the all-women pay-per-view Evolution, which was a fantastic hit. In my short time as general manager, I have been able to see the talent of each and every woman in this ring, and that of the talent on Smackdown, right in front of me. And each week it astounds me. But I can’t help think something has been missing.”

Around the ring, the women nodded in agreement.

“Last week I made the announcement that a new title would come into play for this division. Tag team titles. Tonight, Stephanie McMahon and I have the privilege of reveling those titles to you,” you said, looking around the ring, “and to you, the WWE universe.” The crowd cheered, making you beam as you took the half step to the table. With a nod, you and Stephanie each tugged at one layer of fabric, pulling it back to reveal the new Raw women’s tag team titles.

The gold accents glittered under the lights. Breathtaking. “But I’m not done. Tonight, we will have the first match in a tournament to determine the first tag team champions. And that first match will start-“

“In just a moment, I’m sure.” Ruby Riott stepped out of the line, flanked by Liv and Sarah. “I can’t deny that we have made waves this year, but I have to say we have not made the progress we should have. These titles are coming to the Riott Squad first because no one else in this ring deserves them. We will hold them, defend them, and prove that our Riott against what the women’s division is justified. The women’s division is weak. A bunch of sniveling little girls who whine when they don’t get chances. Who aren’t willing to fight with every ounce of what they have to achieve a goal. Or if they do, it isn’t enough.”

Stephanie shot you a look. _Control this._ You nodded back. “That is a fantastic plan. And you will have your chance.” The Riott Squad sneered in delight. “But not tonight.” Their faces dropped. “Perhaps another week. In the meantime, would you please get out of the ring?”

***

In one corner, Ember and Dana Brook whispered to each other, planning how they were going to win the match. On the other side, Nia and Tamina shared a look. They may have been on opposite sides at Starrcade, but why divide the two most powerful women on the roster? They proved that power by tossing each woman from one side of the ring to the other. Ember and Dana each had a good moment, taking the taller women out at the knees and then following up with another hit that made it possible to try for a pin. It was few and far between, but they were good attempts. Attempts that were like irritating bee stings to Nia and Tamina.

They took their vengeance by thwarting both Ember and Dana’s finishers and rerouting the energy into their own devastating moves. Tamina pinned Dana while Nia had Ember by the hair on the outside. The steel stairs fell apart as Nia send Ember through them. She grabbed a mic while Tamina rolled Dana out of the ring.

“This. This is what the women’s division is. It’s power. It’s a fight. We,” she motioned between them, “are the women’s division. Those tag titles are going to be ours, make no mistake. But my ambition doesn’t stop there. Natalya, get out here. I know you want to finish what Ember started, but I’ve taken care of her. You know what I want.”

Natalya came out to the stage, her title over her shoulder and an over-bright smile on her face. “Yes, sweetie? I think I do know what you want. You want this.” She tapped the belt. After a moment’s thought, she nodded. “And you know what, I want to see you try. Next week. I’ll see you there, and I’ll see you fail.” She dropped the mic and held the title high, walking backward until she was backstage.

***

Back in your office, Stephanie was proudly looking at the women’s tag titles sitting on their pedestal. “I have to admit, despite the fiasco at Survivor Series, I’m looking forward to your future time as general manager here. These are a great idea.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Ah-“

“Stephanie.”

She smiled. “I may have been… irritated with you last week, but there’s still no need to be so formal. Keep up the good work.” She didn’t wait for a reply before leaving. You had about two seconds to breathe, then Dolph Ziggler invaded the space.

“You need to have a serious talk with your monster,” he spat.

Oh dear. “What are you talking about?”

He grit his teeth, glaring at Braun as he came into your office too. “I circled back to the security at Survivor Series. I know who attacked me. Originally I thought it was Sheamus or his teammate, Cesaro. But that’s not what the camera showed. Instead, it was a great big Strowman fist that bounced off the back of my head. It’s amazing I didn’t end up with a concussion.” He rubbed the back of his head for emphasis. “He needs to be controlled-“

“I asked him to do it.”

Dolph and Braun froze. You stood, calm and collected, and met Dolph’s eye. He blinked in surprise. “You… you what? Why?”

“I asked Braun to keep you from the match for two reasons. One. It was a match that didn’t need to happen in the first place, but you went ahead with it despite my direct order not to. I can’t have that kind of insubordination on my roster.”

Dolph sputtered and growled. Braun moved to step between you, but you raised your hand.

“Two. It was an excuse for the trainers to finally check you out. They had noticed that you had been favoring your knee in matches, and then came to me when you kept ‘missing’ your appointments.” Now Dolph looked sheepish, but you ignored that and continued. “No matter. Everything worked out. I won my own battle. You got the rest you so desperately needed. And, you have been cleared to compete again. Congratulations.”

He was at a loss for words. You could almost physically see the wheels turning in his head as he turned on his heel and left your office.

Braun waited until he was gone before gently tapping your shoulder. “This isn’t going to become a habit, right?”

You shook your head. “As long as people don’t keep secrets from me, I won’t keep anyone from them.” He didn’t seem to believe you, so you pressed. “What are _you_ worried about? If I ever need to ‘take you out,’ I’d have to call over to Smackdown for Big Show. And that probably wouldn’t even work. All former matches considered. But we’ve been working well together. So, I don’t see any foreseeable problems. Do you?”

“No,” he rumbled. 

“Good.” You gave him a curt nod. “Now, good luck with your match tonight.” It took no small amount of focus to keep your tone and expression calm while Braun thought over the underhanded threat. When he left, you finally let out the breath you’d been holding.

***

Titus and Apollo didn’t hold up much better against Dr. M and Braun than they did on Saturday. This time, Dr. M was in the ring the most, trying out new tricks and laughing as the old ones continued to be useful. He was fully engaged in the match and enjoying himself. On the other hand, Braun seemed distant. Going through the motions was still more than Titus World Wide could handle, but it nearly caught him in a pin more than once. It was beginning to grate on Dr. M that Braun kept tagging himself out.

“Braun!” Dr. M called. “Focus on the healing at hand.” He held out his palm, calling him in to engage. On the canvas, Apollo was crawling back to his corner, where Titus was struggling to climb back onto the apron. The doctor crowed with triumph as Braun accepted the tag. He continued to grin with pride as Braun finished the match. They were champions for another week. Dr. M turned from the carnage in the ring. Now, he could focus on the original plan.

***

The pen in your hand clicked shut just as Dean walked in. You smiled brightly, letting it dim only a little when he didn’t smile back. “I can see already that you don’t approve.”

“You’re a smart woman, Y/N. I figured you knew on Saturday or before that I wouldn’t approve. Look, Dolph isn’t my favorite person, but calling a hit on him? That’s… that’s not what I was expecting from you.”

Another techie handed you a clipboard to sign. “It’s not what a lot of people expected of me. I didn’t expect it of me. But as Survivor Series came rolling up, I saw how much it mean to Stephanie and to you guys, then Dolph made that match… I couldn’t let it happen. There was already too much hanging in the balance. My control over my personal life was something I needed to handle myself.”

Dean fiddled with the hem of his sweatshirt sleeves. “You’re headed down a dangerous road.”

“No, I’m not. I know what I’m doing. I’ve established that I’m willing to do anything for Monday Night Raw, and I’m going to hang onto that power.” With a sigh, you waved another clipboard away. “But I didn’t call you in here to get scolded. You’ve got a match tonight. But… what kind of a match do you need? Easy? Ambrose versus the world? Or-”

“Give me the worst odds, or at least some bad ones,” he said, giving you the slightest grin.

“I figured. Then, head to the ring. And have fun.”

He was almost gone when he turned back. “We’re not through with this discussion, young lady.”

You giggled. “Yes, sir, Deano, sir!” As he left, you had to agree; this was far from over.

***

The match you made for Dean was a three-on-one handicap match.

Jinder Mahal had Sunil start the match, and then when Dean tired him out, sent in Samir. Only after they were both too exhausted and at risk of not being able to kick out, then and only then did Jinder tag in. By then, Dean was starting to move a little slower. Something the Maharaja had been counting on. He successfully sling-shot Dean around the ring into the ropes and turnbuckles.

But pride is not power.

The crowd’s cheers helped Dean get to his feet, despite being in a chokehold in the center of the ring. Jinder looked to his corner as he began bouncing back and forth on the ropes, powering up to something. The Singh brothers were still splayed out on the ringside floor. By the time Jinder turned around, Dean was there with a kick to the stomach and a satisfying Dirty Deeds.

When it came to Dean, the odds rarely ever mattered.

***

Seth strolled through the hallways around Gorilla, smiling when he found who he was looking for. “Hey, I’ve got a proposition for you.”

Barely looking up from his phone, Finn chuckled. “Oh. And what would that be?”

“A match tonight. But, with a little extra.” He smirked when Finn put his phone away, obviously interested. “You pick a teammate, and I’ll pick someone. That way it’ll be a different match that Clash of Champions. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Deal. Then… I’ll meet you in the ring. If you can find anyone so late notice.”

Finn rolled his eyes. “I could say the same to you.” He watched him leave, then went in a different direction to finds someone to tag with.

***

Both men found teammates that they knew would the other pause. Mojo Rawley entered with Seth, and Elias entered with Finn. The demon king and the drifter sang for a little bit, even though one was royally off-key. The discordance continued into the match. Each time Finn was in the ring, and Mojo wanted to tag out, Seth refused to tag in. The way around with Elias. For the majority of the match, the last-minute additions were the ones doing all the work. And they noticed. And they didn’t like it.

Seth tried to tag out as Finn was forced into the ring. Instead of accepting the tag or dropping to the floor, Mojo sucker-punched his partner. “Pin him,” he shouted at Finn. The Irishman shook his head, backing away into his corner. Soon he was face-down on the canvas too. Across the ring, Mojo and Elias shared a look. They eased their way through the ropes, eyeing one another with distrust as they crossed to beat up the other’s teammate. Both went for a pin. Seth and Finn kicked out, sharing a look as they huffed and puffed.

The match was done. Everybody knew it. So, Elias and Mojo left the ring. Before they could make it far, Seth and Finn took turns sailing over the ropes and landing on them. Two, three times Mojo and Elias were able to stagger to their feet. Three times, the champions sent them back to the floor. When they didn’t rise a fourth time, Seth and Finn accepted their titles from the ref. They leaned against the ropes and laughed, knocking their titles together in a toast.


	30. Challenge Accepted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of the last pieces for Clash of Champions are put into place. The Reader wants Dean to help her out with a little experiment she’s running.

Monday Night Raw – December 3, 2018

Balor Club welcomed their leader as he made his way to the ring. Finn made sure to lean deep on the ropes, showing off his red and gold championship. Then he stepped through the ropes and accepted a mic.

“Last week was… interrestin’.” He started. “And Seth, I bet you have to agree. So why don’t you get out here so we can talk about it?” Waiting patiently, he smiled as the crowd cheered ‘burn it down’ and may have joined them. Just a little bit.

Seth strutted into the ring with a smile. “What’s there to talk about, Finn? We were doing what we do best, fighting to be the best man, and then our, uh,” he rubbed the back of his head, “our partners decided to flip the play.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Finn said. “They tried us, then we continued to do what we do best, and be the workhorses of this company. The best men. The ones worthy of the gold we carry. ”

Smirking, Seth had to agree. “We did good. Heaven forbid we ever get the tag titles in our sights. Or, sorry Balor, hell forbid.” But he shook his head. “Don’t let last week go to your head. We may be friends, but come Clash of Champions, we will be opponents.”

“I wouldn’ want it any other way.”

They both paused, looking each other over. Somewhere, someone tried to start a ‘hug it out’ chant, but it didn’t have the chance to run as Finn raised his microphone to his lips.

“I would have beaten you.”

Seth shook his head. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“It’s not my sleep you should be worried about.” Finn circled him. “I have a feelin’ I’m not the one tossin’ and turnin’ because of how close some of those counts got. You may be the Intercontinental Champ ‘round here,” he stopped. Seth turned around to face him, flinching as Finn tapped the title on his shoulder, “but I’m the Universal Champ. The people’s champion. And I bet t’at just eats you up inside. Knowin’ I am more worthy of this title than you will ever be. T’at’s what I wanted to tell you. See ya at Clash of Champions.”

He nodded on last time, then stepped through the ropes, leaving Seth behind and not turning his back until he was up the ramp.

***

The next round of the women’s tag team tournament was the first official match of the night. Mickie and Alicia came out to the ring, ready to throw down and win their spot at Clash of Champions. Alexa Bliss came with them, dressed in a sharp suit to be their ring-side accompaniment. Bayley came out next. She laughed to see Alicia already mocking Rhonda’s punch-n’-bounce. But Rhonda Rousey music didn’t hit. Sasha Banks’s did.

“What!” Corey shouted. “How can Bayley trust her? After all the times Sasha has stabbed her in the back.”

Renee took over while he sputtered. “Maybe that’s why this could work. Bayley isn’t going to give second chances, and Sasha’s not going to be preoccupied with coming up with a back-stabbing plan. No plotting or looking over their shoulders. Just the goal at hand.” She hummed. “It might just work.”

They continued to debate the ability of Bayley and Sasha as their opponents did everything they could to break them apart. But the trio was so focused on distracting them, that they were distracted themselves. The friend-hate duo played into every trick, but in such a way that drained Alicia and Mickie. By the time the women realized it, Bayley had flipped Mickie out of the way with a Bayley to Belly, and Sasha had Alicia locked in a Bank Statement. Alexa couldn’t get into the ring in time to keep her from tapping.

Standing on either side of the ref while he raised their hands, they gave each other guarded smiles. The plan had worked… this time.

***

Backstage, Seth spoke to a techie, who pointed further down the hallway. “Thanks. Ambrose!” He quickened his steps to catch up to Dean. “Hey, man, do you know where your cousin is? She wasn’t in her office and I need to ask a favor.”

Dean finished off taping his hands. “She was coming back from a situation in catering.” He smirked. “Finn got under your skin again, didn’t he?”

“No.” Seth fiddled with his wrist straps. “Fine. Maybe. But I’m just as deserving of the Universal as he is and just as much of a people’s choice.”

“Alright, alright!” Dean held his hands up in defense, chuckling when Seth’s shoulders deflated.

“Sorry.” He looked Dean up and down. “What are your plans for Clash of Champions?”

He ran his tongue over his lips and tilted his head. “Dunno. Might just sit back and watch this one. Maybe I’ll text Renee notes on her commentary. Maybe… I’ll pay you and Finn a visit during your match. Haven’t held the Universal yet… and I’d love to have my Intercontinental back.”

Seth stepped back from Dean’s fingers ready to tap at the belt. “Don’t you dare,” he said with a grin. “We’d both kick your ass.”

“Ha, assuming I wouldn’t kick both of yours.” He shook his head. “But weren’t you looking for the other Ambrose?” He punched at Seth’s unoccupied shoulder, then twisted away, leaving Seth to once again stand alone.

***

As the runners-up for the guy’s tag team number one contenders, the B-Team had challenged the Revival. They wanted to prove that they could win on their own, and then take care of any distractions that might come up. The Revival was more than happy to answer the call, and they kept the B-Team on their toes. The longer the match went on, the more the Revival noticed something. If Curtis was in the ring, Bo was reaching for a tag. He was watching the ramp and the back of the ring. And vise versa.

Neither was paying much attention to their present opponents.

It cost them the match. Dash and Wilder rolled their victims out of the ring so they could have their arms raised in an empty ring.

***

Charly Caruso rounded a corner and almost bumped into her next interviewee. “Braun, sorry. Um, could you tell us why you’ve joined up with the man we used to know as Bray Wyatt? You’ve been a dominant figure here on Monday Night Raw. What do you gain by teaming up with Dr. M?” She held up her microphone, patiently waiting while he thought over his answer.

He gently took the mic from her so she didn’t have to reach. “For the past several months, my goals have been just out of my reach.” He crossed his arms, one giant elbow wrapped in a black bandage. “My best, my rage, it hasn’t been enough. Even though it got me so close. Now I’m a tag team champion.”

Charly nodded and moved to take her mic, but he held it up out of reach. She motioned for him to continue.

“Bray or Dr. M, he’s… healed whatever problems I’ve had focusing on how to get what I want. I’ve got another goal in mind. And I know he’s going to help me get that one to. In time.” He finally returned Charly’s equipment, then continued on his way.

***

 _“You want this.”_ Natalya watched herself on the Titontron standing toe to toe with Nia from last week. _“And you know what, I want to see you try. Next week. I’ll see you there, and I’ll see you fail.”_ The video ended and Natalya focused her attention to the stage. “Well, Nia. I’m here. You want this?” She nudged her shoulder, raising the title. “Then come out here and get it.”

A minute later, Nia did just that. When the bell rang, they circled each other. They both froze as Ember Moon’s music sounded, and she walked out onto the stage. She made a show of walking just to the top of the ramp, then turning back towards the announce table and joining them. “Hey Corey, Cole, Renee. Thought I’d drop in and give my input on this match, if that’s alright?”

In the ring, the women went back to fighting each other. Nia had a height and strength advantage, but Natalya had the champion’s advantage. She dodged most of Nia’s attacks. And she rolled out of the ring, making the other woman fume and rage.

“Are you worried about this match at all,” Corey asked. “Nia’s got this opportunity because she and Tamina beat you and Dana last week.”

“Nope. Not one bit. “I may not have made it into the tag title match at Clash of Champions, but I am still going to have a title before the year is out. I don’t care if I have to beat Nia or Natalya for it.”

Natalya moved out of the way at the last second, making Nia run into a set of steel steps. She rolled back in the ring and motioned for the ref to count. By nine and a half, Nia was just getting to her feet. He made it to ten before she could reach for the ropes. They glared at each other as Natalya accepted her title from the ref.

As Nia went up the ramp to leave the arena, Ember passed by and gave her a little wave and a smile. Ember joined Natalya at the ropes, the champion not giving her the room to even enter the ring. No matter. She shrugged and lightly ran her fingers down the red and white belt.

“Clash of Champions. I’ll see you there.” Then she hopped off the apron and left with her head held high.

***

Dean bounced into your office and waited a second for you to finish an email. “Did Seth find you?”

“Yes he did, and I was able to help.” You shrugged. “And Jose found you, so I could talk to you too.”

He smiled, then clapped his hands so he could rub them together. “Who you got for me this week, Ladybug?”

“Well… are you okay with being a guinea pig?”

He stepped back and squinted at you, unsure. “Sure.”

“Great. You have a match with Drew McIntyre tonight.” Before your sentence was finished, Dean had cocked his head and leaned towards you.

“What’s the catch?”

With a deep breath, you bit back a grin. “I want you to push his buttons. Can you do that?”

Dean grinned for you. “Hell yeah, I can.”

“Win, and there’ll be a surprise for you next week.” You giggled as his eyebrows shot up.

“Oh?” He rolled his shoulders back and forth. Wiggling, even though he always said he doesn’t wiggle. “And what would that be?”

“I can’t tell you, or it wouldn’t be a surprise.” You scoffed, “don’t you trust me?”

“It comes and goes.” You both laughed. Dean patted your shoulder before heading out.

***

He did all that you needed and more. If there was one thing that Ambroses were the best at, it was poking the proverbial bear. Dean just had the fighting skill to back it up. And the forethought to do it when the ref wasn’t looking.

This bothered Drew McIntyre to no end. He tried moving faster, hitting harder. But each time, Dean got right back up and did it all over again like only he could. The ref had to pull the Scottish Psychopath away from the ropes where Dean had dodged out. Behind his back and right into Drew’s glare, Dean smirked.

“Not all that without Dolph doing the dirty work for ya, huh?” He rolled completely out of the ring before Drew could swing a punch. He ran as he was chased and slid back into the ring. Drew tried to follow, but Dean left again, circling the other way, much to the amusement of the crowd. But Drew didn’t take the hint and had a chair ready for him as Dean came around the corner.

Before the first hit even landed, the referee was calling for the disqualification and naming Dean the winner of the match. Once the bell had rung, Dean turned on his own dark side and beat Drew down to the mat surrounding the ring.

“How’s that for pushing buttons?” he asked, walking backward away from the ring.


	31. Sending a Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the last Monday before Clash of Champions, and everyone wants to make sure that their opponent knows what pain and humiliation are in store for them on Sunday.

Monday Night Raw – December 10, 2018

“I don’t understand why Ember is fighting tonight. She’s got a title opportunity on Sunday!” Corey scoffed when Renee tried to calm him down. “It’s just… she’s been running full speed towards this goal, but – superkick from Ember! But fighting Mickie James tonight could cost her.”

They all flinched as the women fell back from the corner in a suplex. Renee pressed forward. “Ember knows exactly what she’s doing. Tonight is just practice. Keeping her muscles warm and keeping her head clear. She’s got this.”

A few moves later, Ember did not seem to ‘got this.’ Mickie was keeping her off her feet, and any time she did stand up, there was a kick or a punch that made her spin into the ropes. The war goddess hissed as she bounced off the apron, sprawling across the floor. She tried to get back between the ropes, but Mickie was there to pull her onto their springiness, sending her back. Then Mickie jumped, landing on her.

With a scream, Ember was through with the mockery Mickie was putting her through. She tossed Mickie into the ring post, then scaled up to the top. She Eclipsed. Rolling back into the ring, she waited for the count.

“Wait… do you think that’s the best choice going into Clash of Champions?” Cole asked. “Natalya’s going to have champion’s advantage, and she can’t lose the title by count-out.”

As the ref approached the count of seven, Ember growled as the realization hit her. She rolled out and collected her opponent. Mickie stumbled to her feet, turning just in time to catch another Total Eclipse. Ember pinned her without even a twitch from Mickie. She wobbled to her feet, flinching as the ref raised her hand. The stage lit up in purple, and Natalya walked out. She watched as the champion came down the ramp and entered the ring.

She didn’t say anything, just walked up to stand toe-to-toe with Ember. And then, with a bright smile on her face, she raised the title above them both. Point made, she turned on her heel and left the way she came.

***

All the audience could see was the darkness. A few offered up their flashlights, but when the silence took over, those snuffed out. Dr. M appeared on the screen, standing in a long dark hallway that looked like it belonged to an abandoned hospital.

“The first dose has been given,” he said. “The first antidote issued. My associate and I have what we want, and we’re not going to let a few parasites get their hands on our titles.” He flipped his tag title belt over his shoulder and smiled at it. Then he slowly turned his gaze forward. “Or will we? Because, you have to see, having the cure to what ails the WWE universe is no good unless it’s administered to everyone.” He squinted in thought. “Perhaps there are other goals we need to achieve to ensure the erasure of the widespread disease.”

He grabbed hold of the camera, making the image shake. “But that has not yet come to pass. Plans are still incubating. Tonight… no. Tonight is about sending the message. It’s making sure that the universe knows that its rescue is at hand. The rescue from the viruses and the human pestilence that is the Raw tag team division as it stands.” He stepped back. “Don’t worry. Doctor M is here to help.”

***

Backstage, Elias was tuning his guitar. Once he had it adjusted the way he liked it, he began to strum and hum along. Just as he was about to sing, a thumping beat came down the hallway. A man in a brightly colored shirt danced by with a speaker box playing No Way Jose’s music, followed by a long line of people who filled the space. Jose danced into the center of them, twirling one woman around, and then grabbing Elias’s hand to twirl him.

“Can you not-“ Elias growled and snatched his hand away. “Can you not do this right here?” He shouted over the music. Jose motioned that he couldn’t hear him. “Are you… are you headed to the ring? The ring!” It took several hand motions, but Elias finally got his question across. “Good. I’m going to meet you there!”

Jose smiled and motioned for his dance party to follow him, leaving the hall much quieter.

Elias sneered and shouldered his guitar. “Yeah, I’ll meet you in the ring.”

***

A few minutes later, Elias was illuminated in the center of the ring. “I had to rush to get here before the dancing hooligans, but I should have enough time to make sure that you know that WWE stands for?” He waited for the response. “Good. You’ve got it. Now let’s see if I can…” He strummed and was able to get into the same tune as before. But like earlier, as he was inhaling to sing along, Jose’s music interrupted. He stood and angrily shed his scarves, microphone, and guitar.

Before the bell had barely rung, Elias was attacking. But Jose knew what he had been doing, and saw it coming. With a relaxed dodge, Elias’s shoulder collided with the ring post. Jose pulled him back into the ring and tried for a pin, almost succeeding. From there, Jose took great pleasure in pushing Elias’s buttons. Even if the retaliation was painful and exhausting. He was talented in distracting hip curls, and in interrupting any attempted moves from his opponent. At his cue, the dancers that had stayed, danced a lap around the ring chanting “walk with Elias” very much off-key. It set Elias’s hackles on edge, making Jose laugh.

Turning his back on an irate Drifter was a mistake. A high knee laid Jose out flat. Elias took to the skies and finished him off with an elbow drop. When that wasn’t enough, Elias growled, “dance away from this,” and spun Jose up for powerbomb after powerbomb. Finally, Elias went for a pin, satisfied when the ref made it to three. He rolled out to retrieve his guitar.

No Way Jose stumbled to his feet. He was too busy rubbing the headache out of his temples to notice the frantic motions from his fellow dancers. Jose was oblivious to Elias raising his guitar behind him. It shattered on his back. Elias slung the remnants over his shoulder and nodded before leaving the ring.

***

In the next round for the women’s tag teams, Rhonda shadowboxed in the ring, waiting for her partner. Dana Brooke made her entrance. The women shook hands in the ring. “Thanks for… being willing to be my partner in this,” Rhonda said.

“Thanks for even thinking of me. Even if I was the last one available. You could have stayed out of the tournament, but you didn’t. And now we’re both here.”

They stood shoulder to shoulder as the Riott Squad took the stage. “No, no, no, no, NO!” Ruby twisted the mic on her hand. “Rhonda, Rhonda, Rhonda. You just can’t seem to play by the rules, can you? You swaggered into the WWE with your big name and doors just flung open for you.” She cackled. “You may have been great in your fighting world, but in this one, you have to earn your spot. And not by cutting corners. And Dana,” she cocked her head as she descended down the ramp, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan on her heels, “you should know better. And I think, that of every woman on the roster, you would know fake, self-serving, inevitable back-stabbing power when you see it.”

Rhonda cut Dana off from rushing forward. She noted how the other two women had circled the ring, flanking them. Sarah and Liv stepped up onto the apron, harsh grins on their faces.

“And now,” Ruby finished, “we are going to make sure you pay. Both of you.” She strolled over to the bell booth and rang in the match herself.

It didn’t last long. The Riott Squad women were good what they did. If Rhonda was in the ring, they quick tagged and evaded her hits, keeping her frustrated. If Dana was in, well, they knew her buttons too. Whispering ghosts from her time working with Charlotte Flair. It wore on her more than the punches. And when it became too much, Rhonda was too busy chasing Liv for the tag. Sarah pinned Dana, then escaped up the ramp with her team.

“Lesson learned, Rhonda,” Ruby shouted back.

***

The number one contender’s match for the Raw tag titles was between the Revival and the team of Bobby Roode and Chad Gable. It was a heck of a match, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. When Dash finally pinned Chad, even Dasha Fuentes had to applaud. The losers, and runner-ups by agreement, left the ring so the ref could raise the hands of the victors. The continued to celebrate even after he left.

Then the lights went out.

When they came back on, and only halfway, both Dash and Scott were knocked out in the ring. In either corner, the shadows turned out to be Dr. M and Braun Strowman. Again, the lights went out. When they came back on, fully this time, the Revival was still asleep on the mat, but Dr. M and Braun were gone.

***

The main event was what you had set up last week. Seth Rollins came out to the ring and grabbed a mic. “Over the past several weeks, there have been a great many… insinuations that I am not worthy to be Intercontinental Champion.” He shrugged. “I would have to disagree, but you guys deserve more than just words or a flashy appearance. So, tonight, right here and right now, I am issuing an open challenge. But not just any open challenge,” he grinned, “it’s going to be a gauntlet open challenge.”

Proud of himself, he beamed at the crowd, basking in the response they gave him. “Back there are five of some of the best wrestlers WWE has to offer. And not one of them is going home tonight with this title.” He returned the mic and handed the title to the referee while Jojo announced the match.

The first to come out was Baron Corbin. Most of their match ended up outside the ring. Between Baron’s quick recoveries around the posts, and Seth’s over-the ropes high flying, their part of the match could have gone either way. But Seth’s curb-stomp could knock out a dragon. He hurried to his feet after the pin, ready for the next opponent.

Dolph Ziggler came out next, proud and swaggering and taking his time to circle the ring before ascending the stairs. Both men glared at the other. Immediately, Dolph tried to catch Seth in a headlock, succeeding enough to toss the champion to the canvas. The goal was to keep him off his feet, and he did so with repeated kicks to his stomach and by targeting the areas already hurt by Baron. Still, Seth came back and gave worse to Dolph than what he had received. There may have been a slight hold on Dolph’s tights for the roll-up.

Having lost, Dolph begrudgingly left the ring. He paused at the bottom of the ramp as Drew McIntyre entered next. They sneered at each other, merely inches apart on the wide ramp, before going their separate ways. Again, the match was more likely to be outside the ring than in. Drew used the ring posts, the stairs, and his height advantage against Seth. And the injuries were beginning to add up. So Seth switched the game from defense to dodgeball. Every time that Drew tried to run Seth into something, it was reversed, and he ended up hitting the target. One such crash into the ring post was enough to keep Drew from kicking out, giving Seth a much-needed break.

Seth was still kneeling, facing where Drew had rolled out of the ring, when Dean’s music hit. He sighed with a smile, turning to watch his brother in arms come down the ramp. They shared a quick handshake. Then Dean used every trick he knew would either exhaust Seth or tick him off. And there was a lot to work with, considering their history.

Finn Balor’s entrance took over the stage. As suddenly as it came, the music stopped. Seth froze, keeping an eye out for a trick, giving Dean the break he needed to try for a roll-up. He was unsuccessful, but only just.

“Mind games!” Corey shouted.

Several long minutes later, Dean was pinned, though he kicked out at three and a quarter. Panting, they laughed. Dean rolled out of the ring, shaking his head. He motioned to Seth “so close.” His brother mouthed back, “you wish.”

Dean was long gone by the time Finn’s entrance started again. When he didn’t immediately enter from the front, Seth spun around just in time to receive a sling blade. He had already fought four of the best, and the fifth one was proving to be more than he could handle. It was taking longer and longer for him to get to his feet. And his slow reaction time didn’t save him from a number of hits. Finn went for a pin. At the last half-second, he pulled Seth up from the mat. With a soft pat to the side of Seth’s face, he slid out of the ring. The ref counted to ten while Seth rolled to his stomach, waiting for him to finish the job.

“Why would I beat you tonight, Seth? When I beat you, I want it at Clash of Champions, not on Monday Night Rollins.”

***

Backstage, Drew was nursing his wounds, physical and to his pride. Dolph’s arrival did nothing to better his mood. “What do you want? You’ve got nothing to brag about. Seth beat you.”

“You didn’t do much better.” Dolph took a deep breath and calmed his speech. “That’s why we need to combine forces again. We were so much stronger-“

“No, you were stronger.” Drew towered over him as he stood. “I was held back. Go after your own goals, Dolph, and stay out of the way of mine.”


	32. Holiday Havoc (Clash of Champions)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the time of year for Clash of Champions. Stephanie and Hunter come on Monday to talk to the reader about the show, and it inspires her to make even bigger and better matches. But Dean is wary of how that power might go to her head and cloud her vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it’s time for CoC because TLC already happening in this series. There is one tiny, crucial detail that will become super important down the road. And I am really excited about it. Enjoy!

Clash of Champions – December 17, 2018 – San Jose, CA

The honor of the first match belonged to the debut of the Raw Women’s Tag Championships. Each team in the triple threat match eyed the other, keeping on their toes and ready to spring as soon as the bell rang. Though it took some cajoling, the ref was able to unclutter the ring presence to just one member from each. Bayley tapped hands with Sasha Banks, leaving her in the ring. Tamina did the same with Nia Jax. And Ruby Riott directed Liv Morgan to start, motioning for Sarah Logan to step out before hopping to the floor herself. Round one was set. The bell rang.

An unspoken alliance formed between Sasha and Liv to send Tamina out of the ropes. While she was gone, then and only then did they set to showing off their skills. Tamina rolled in and tagged Nia. Together they sent both women through the ropes, staking their claim on the center of the ring. Sasha tagged in Bayley, and Liv tagged in Sarah. There was a stare-down, almost completely uninterrupted by the nervous ref caught in the middle. The tagged women took their turn, throwing punches and each other as hard as they could.

Brawls broke out at ringside. Sasha and Bayley each had a hold of Tamina and Nia, though on opposite sides of the floor. And of course, each started by a member of the Riott Squad, now missing. None of them could see that they didn’t have a woman in the game. In the ring, Liv and Sarah stayed low and quiet, their smiles getting bigger with each count. 

At ten they jumped in unison, falling together to the canvas. Ruby tackled them further as the new belts were brought and placed in their hands. They made a quick exit before the other four women fully realized they had been duped.

***

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder stood back to back in the ring as Dr. M and Braun Strowman began to enter the arena. Even when it was obvious they were coming down the ramp, the Revival kept up their guard. It was a wise decision, considering their opponents disappeared once they reached ringside. When the lights came back on, the champions were standing toe-to-toe with the Revival, and quickly threw them to opposite sides of the ring.

Braun grabbed hold of Dawson and began breaking him down. Wilder retreated to their corner, glaring at Dr. M. But they had a plan. Braun may be big, and Dr. M controlling, but they couldn’t hold onto the title forever. Or so the Revival thought. They started by getting each man alone. Wilder distracted Dr. M on the floor, and Wilder kept Braun spinning in circles. Then they targeted their weaknesses, cutting them down to size, targeting joints and previous injuries. Dawson was able to get Braun down to one knee, and he rushed to his corner to tag in Wilder while Dr. M was nowhere to be seen.

With the switch came the realization that all their work had played right into the champions’ hands. Still, they tried. Wilder bounced off the ropes, but his attack was caught and countered by Br. M. With a kiss and a flip, he was pinned.

Braun joined Dr. M in the ring, posing over the fallen with their retained titles.

***

“The following contest is a title match for the Raw Women’s Championship.” Jojo introduced Natalya and Ember Moon, then stepped out between the ropes. The referee motioned for the bell to ring, and the women started by meeting up in a lock. Ember was the first to lose ground, but she dug deep and managed to shove Natalya away onto the canvas. She retaliated with a leg sweeping attack and moved into the first sharpshooter of the match. Ember was able to crawl to a bottom rope, breaking the hold.

It was legacy holds versus first-generation acrobatics. Both were hard to recover from, and both were driven by the absolute need to be the only woman standing on top of the mountain. Most of the match took place inside the ring, occasionally Natalya rolled out to catch her breath. Ember scaled the turnbuckles and waited patiently for her to turn around. She leapt. Natalya crashed and didn’t move for a while, even after Ember got back into the ring. She waited for the count, catching her own breath and holding herself up in the corner ropes.

But championships can’t be won by count-out.

The referee was up to the count of five by the time she realized this. Natalya, on the other hand, had been more than willing to stay outside. She fought Ember for as long as she could but ended up retreating into the ring. They met again in a lock of punches and kicks to each other’s torsos, both gaining their second wind. It wasn’t long before that ran out too.

Natalya wobbled to her feet. She sighed. If she couldn’t see Ember in the ring, then the only place she could be was… she turned and confirmed her suspicion. Ember jumped down from the turnbuckle with a Total Eclipse. She pushed with all her might to keep Natalya down for the count, then froze in shock as the ref counted to three. The bell rang, and he handed her the title belt. While she celebrated, Natalya made it to her feet, though still wobbly.

They faced each other, and the ref backed off. Natalya offered her hand for a handshake, which Ember received. Then Natalya lifted Ember’s arm in the air. Ember continued to cheer along with the crowd, but the defeated woman kept her eye on the title.

***

The main event was the ‘Winner Take All’ match for the Universal and Intercontinental titles. Finn Balor and Seth Rollins begrudgingly handed their titles to the referee to hold up. Depending on how it ended, that would be the last time one of them got to hold their championship.

Finn started the match with a series of sling-blades. Seth was able to avoid the last one and flipped Finn onto his back for the first attempted pin. Finn kicked out, laughing. They met in the center to slap hands and show a little sportsmen-like conduct. Then it turned ugly.

Neither man wanted to go home empty-handed tonight. Neither wanted to have to bear the smug look of triumph on the other’s face. And neither wanted those looks from their peers backstage. The ones that said, “you fought well, but it wasn’t enough.” The effort exhausted them. Finn crawled over Seth’s chest, praying for a pin. But Seth kicked out. With a growl customary of the demon king, Finn wearily climbed the turnbuckle and glared at Seth’s unmoving body. It stayed unmoving until the last second before Finn’s boots would make contact.

By the time Finn could react and recover with a roll, Seth was up and ready with a kick that cut him in half. He evaded the first curb-stomp but was finished by the second. As he struggled to breathe, Seth was given both titles, one for each shoulder. No. Finn launched to his feet with a shout, hitting Seth in the back where he stood on the ropes, flipping him to the floor. It took five referees and several members of security to separate them. But the damage was done. Seth Rollins was a double champion. The first to hold both the Universal and the Intercontinental.

***

* * *

***

Monday Night Raw – December 18, 2018

San Jose’s crowd welcomed Seth into the arena. He wore the Intercontinental around his waist and carried the Universal on his shoulder. “Well, well, well. Welcome to Monday Night Rollins!” He grinned, smug and proud of himself. “Last night was quite the fight, wasn’t it? But it just proves one thing: that I will give my all and more for you all. To give you the show you deserve, and to be the champion that you deserve no matter what title… or how many at a time,” he added, holding up the Universal belt. “But I have to give credit where credit is due. Finn Balor was an amazing champion. And he deserved it after everything he went through to win it the first time, including me with one arm hanging from his body and all. But, times change. Out with the old and in with the new. The better. The Man.”

Finn’s music interrupted. He marched down to the ring and got right up in Seth’s face. “Beatin’ me one time does not make you better, Seth. It makes you lucky. Knowin’ your record, luck does not become you. Seth, everybody knows that you like makin’ your own way, no matter the cost. Last night was not one of those moments.”

“I did make my own way. I beat you,” Seth chuckled.

“Have you considered that I let you?”

“What?”

With a dark grin, Finn elaborated. “Maybe I let you win. My first Universal reign was short as it was because of you. But I was still the first. I missed out on months of defending and building myself up because of you. But I came back and took what was rightfully mine. All the while I toyed with you and got you into that ring last night. Because when I take my title back, your Universal reign will be completely forgettable. You can’t be the longest reigning because for you it stops tonight. And you can’t be the shortest reigning, because that’s Braun. You are going to be the second man to have the Universal title for only twenty-four hours. The people only remember the extraordinary. And I’m the extraordinary man who can do extraordinary things. You’re just a man.”

Seth swallowed, gripping the red and gold tighter. “So… you want your rematch?”

“I want my rematch.”

They barely gave each other enough space to hold their mics.

“Then let’s call a ref,” Seth finally stated.

***

The rematch was even more brutal than the first. They had agreed that it would only be for the Universal. Finn didn’t mind as much that he missed the Intercontinental this time around, but he wanted his title back. And as such, he didn’t hesitate this time. Seth barely had room to breathe, much less to stand up and defend himself. He had the strong upper hand when the lights went out.

Finn spun around looking for Seth, who had disappeared from the ring. In his place stood Dr. M.

“Bray, bring him back. I wasn’t finished with him.”

“Bray Wyatt is no more. And yes, you are finished with Seth Rollins. Because I say so.”

Seth staggered to his feet behind the ring. Finn rushed in his direction but was caught and spun into Dr. M’s finisher. The bell rang, and Braun called the end. “Winning by disqualification, Finn Balor. But still your Universal champion, Seth Rollins.”

Finn made it to one knee. “No!” But Dr. M was already outside of the ring. And Braun ran by Seth, flipping him in the air.

“You will be cleansed, Balor,” Dr. M chuckled. “I have plans for you.”

***

You watched Dr. M finish his threats on your office television, wringing your hands. This was not how this was supposed to go. Stephanie and Hunter stood on the other side of the screen.

“I have to admit,” Hunter said, “you’ve done better than even Kurt Angle said you would. And I thought he was pumping up your skills way out of proportion, no offense.”

“None taken,” you gulped.

Stephanie walked around him to wrap her arm around her shoulders. “You really have done a great job, Y/N. Ever since we’ve gotten Baron out of your hair, Raw has really kicked off. Things are running smoother than normal, and you have come up with some inspired matches.”

You flinched. “I do have to tell you, Seth and Finn have been pushing this rivalry personally. The thing with Dr. M was… unexpected but I can fix it. I’ve really just been signing off on the matches.”

“As you should.” Stephanie patted your shoulder and spun you around to face her. “You didn’t step in the way, and you’ve given them plenty of room to put on several noteworthy matches. What’s a hiccup here and there? That is what a great general manager does.”

Hunter held out his hand for you to shake. “I look forward to what else you come up with. Keep up the good work. And keep on making those stellar matches. Now, if it’s alright with you, we would like to watch the rest of what you’ve got in store for tonight from our box.”

“Yes, of course. Enjoy!” You waited for them to leave your office, then spun around with a squeal.

“Having that good of a day?” Dean stepped in, his grin breaking into a full smile as you quickly hugged him.

“Yes. It’s going great! Stephanie and Hunter were impressed by Clash of Champions. They said to keep ‘making stellar matches.’” You squeaked and jumped again. “I’ve got so many ideas. There’s one, in particular, that would blow the roof off this place. Possibly Wrestlemania worthy.” You pulled out a small notebook and started flipping pages, missing how Dean’s face fell.

He fidgeted with his hand tape. “Just… be careful. It’s easy to forget yourself around here. Everything seems so big and important, but you don’t realize what you’ve given up ‘till it’s gone.” Despite disliking how Stephanie and Hunter had taken a shine to you, Dean couldn’t’ help but notice how happy you were.

You scribbled down a note. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” The notebook flipped shut and you looked up at him. Now slightly confused. “Did you come here to ask something?”

“Yeah. I’m going to be working with someone tonight, but it’s probably going to get… messy. Wanted your back-up when it turns into a match.”

“Mhmm,” you hummed, crossing your arms. “Care to elaborate on that?”

Dean tapped at his throat and lowered his voice. “Can’t. Got to rest my voice. I’m singing with Elias tonight.”

“Oh really? How’d you manage that?” you chuckled.

Dean popped the collar on his leather jacket. “I got skills.” He laughed and ruffled your hair, despite your lighthearted warning growl. “See ya later, Ladybug.”

“See ya, Dean. And thank you. For-“ He was gone before you could finish.

***

“Hello, I am Elias.”

Dean stepped into the spotlight, making Elias cringe. “Hello, I am Dean. And Elias here,” he slapped at his shoulder, “has invited me to sing some carols with him.”

Elias raised his hand. “For the record, you invited yourself and interrupted my rehearsal.”

“Right. That’s what I said. And a one, and a two, and a one two three.” Dean took a deep breath and readied to sing, but froze. “Hey, Elias, that was your cue to start playing.”

He grit his teeth. “I don’t take cues from anyone.”

“Fine. Then you start it.”

Rolling his eyes, Elias strummed for a bit. His chords rattled as Dean started singing a completely different carol than what he was playing. But he was able to switch relatively quickly. “Joy to the world! Elias has come. Let earth receive their…” Dean stopped, making Elias’s strumming stutter out. “You’re not a king. So what do we say?”

“Use part of a different verse.” Elias took over, with Dean hopping in towards the end. “Let men his songs employ. He comes to make, His blessings flow. Let heaven and nature sing, let heaven and nature sing-“

Dean sang louder than before, even when the music dropped out. “Let heaven and heaven and nature sing!” When he did realize that there wasn’t any more music, he turned and barely dodged Elias’s swing of his guitar. Dean called in the referee. “Ring the bell!”

It did as Dean dodged another guitar swing. The ref grabbed it by the neck and took it from Elias, then finished clearing out the ring by tossing the stool out. While his back was turned, Elias went for a hit below the belt. Dean caught Elias’s arm before he could make contact, then made a big show of stepping over his arm and out of harm’s way. He sent Elias rolling with a punch to the face, then scaled the turnbuckles.

“Jingle bells,” Dean started to sing. Elias cut him short by catching him with a jumping knee on his way down. He growled as Dean was able to kick out. Pushing the ref out of the way, he retrieved his guitar. But as he came back, Dean hopped to his feet and took him down with a Dirty Deeds right onto the strings, then won the pin.

Dean rolled out of the ring and started to go up the ramp. “Joy to the world, I pinned Elias. Fa la la la la, la la la la.”

***

Backstage, Drew McIntyre rounded a corner, nearly bumping into someone. “Watch where you’re… oh. It’s just you.” He bumped shoulders with Dolph Ziggler, spinning him around.

“Hey, hang on for a second.”

“Look, I don’t want to hear any more of your propositions. I’ve got my own plans, and you need to stay out of the way.”

“But Seth is vulnerable. There’s no way he could defend both titles at the same time. If we start now, tonight even, the sky’s the limit. We could both have a title by the Royal Rumble.”

Drew grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. “Dolph. Shut up. That mouth of yours is gonna get you inta serious trouble. If you like your head where it is, on your shoulders and not kicked off, then I’m tellin’ ya for the tha last time: stay outa my way.” He pushed him away, sending crates rolling and steel bars clattering to the floor.

Dolph stayed where he’d been thrown. For a second, all he could do was rub at his neck. Then his brow creased, and his jaw tensed. So be it.

***

In the ring, the Riott Squad had their tag titles on display. Liv and Sarah cackled and shined the plaques with the corners of their sleeves and shirts. Ruby spun her mic in her hands.

“And here we are, the first Raw Women’s Tag Champions.” She smugly accepted the booing mixed in with a smattering of cheers. “I don’t know why there were so many shocked faces last night. We were the only team that had any real right to win. Sasha and Bayley can’t ever make up their minds whether they want to work together or kill each other. And Nia and Tamina only started working together a few weeks ago.”

Liv walked up to bump her forehead to Ruby’s, while Sarah wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “We have been a team since we got here. We know each other’s ins and outs like they were our own. Who could step to us?”

“Not a soul,” Sarah answered. They laughed together. “And who’d we do it for?”

“Not you.” Ruby cackled and stepped forward. “Not for the women backstage, not for general manager Y/N, and not for Stephanie McMahon. We won these titles for us. But there’s only one thing missing. Ember Moon, you have something that we want. The Riott Squad wants a full set. Tonight, I’m going to take your title.”

Right on cue, Ember Moon walked out to the stage, Raw women’s title around her waist. “Are you really sure you want this fight, Ruby? I kind of like how it feels to be champion. And I will break every bone in your body to keep it.”

Ruby sneered. “You are welcome to try.”

“On one condition.” Ember walked to the top of the ramp. “Leave your hyenas backstage. I won this one-on-one, and the only way you could prove you are worthy of this prestige is by taking it from me one-on-one.”

Liv and Sarah snarled and moved to step in front of Ruby but she stopped them. “What makes someone worthy is the amount of effort they put into the challenge. And I have triple the effort than any woman here. But I accept your stipulation.” She laughed. “I’m going to enjoy taking that title from you.”

Ember chuckled. “You are welcome to try.”

***

If anyone had asked you, second to only Dean’s fiasco with Elias, this was the match you looked forward to the most. The tag teams, minus the champions, were set to fight in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. Teams would be eliminated by pinning or submitting one member. Around the ring there where trees decorated with tinsel, wreaths hanging from the turnbuckles, and presents in just about every other available space. And you couldn’t forget the candy cane kendo sticks. You don’t know how you were going to clean it up before the main event, but that’s what the stellar team of ring techies was for.

As one, the teams of Titus World Wide, the B-Team, the Revival, and the Ascension all knew that they would have to eliminate the Authors of Pain. Titus and Apollo took to weakening one apiece. Bo set to attacking Rezar’s knees, and Curtis did the same to Akam. Once they were down to their knees, the Revival bounced off the ropes and flattened them to their backs. Then the Ascension started the dog piles. Akam and Rezar couldn’t move from under everyone, so the ref counted to three and eliminated them.

From there, it could only be described as holiday-themed havoc. Konnor found a steel chair in a present and used it on Titus until Viktor could pin him. Dawson and Wilder ended roped together with a wreath and at the mercy of the remaining teams until the green boughs broke. Then Konner pinned Wilder as he fell over. Now it was down to two teams. Bo and Curtis made the Ascension stop long enough to put Santa hats on themselves. Then while they were still frozen in shock, they found themselves with elf hats on their heads. That inspired a rampage that littered the ring with broken boxes, shredded tinsel, and one dismantled tree.

The candy cane kendo sticks helped the winners though. In the hands of the B-Team, and with the help of some well-timed dodges in front of ring posts, they were enough to take down both members of the Ascension. Bo and Curtis went for a double pin. They danced around the ring, kendo sticks raised above their heads chanting their theme along with the crowd.

***

Ruby must have watched the match at Clash of Champions very closely. She knew the location of every bruise and weak muscle on Ember’s body. Each one was a target. She aimed for Ember’s legs first. If she couldn’t stand, she couldn’t fight back. And if she couldn’t climb, then she couldn’t eclipse. When her knees had been sufficiently weakened, Ruby moved on to her torso. A lot of Ember’s moves required being able to twist and contort in the air and to evade hits. By undercutting that ability, Ruby made it easier on herself to wound her opponent.

But as she’d said earlier, Ember liked the feeling of being champion. And she wasn’t about to let Ruby take that away from her. Ruby had her own weaknesses. Because she hadn’t been in a match recently, there weren’t any places to target. But Ember could target her pride. Her ego. And her eardrums as necessary with screams of battle. It was more efficient than she anticipated. The first scream shocked Ruby of her feet. The second gave Ember enough of an opening to finally make an attack. An attack that was quickly subverted into another round of defense.

Natalya came running down the ramp. She passed the ring and went straight to the bell box. Liv and Sarah came running out to meet her, but she was ready. She grabbed a nearby chair and was able to knock them both to the ground, grounding them for the rest of the fight.

In the ring, Ruby tossed Ember into a corner. She spun around, basking in whatever the audience gave her. When they started cheering louder, she dropped her arms with a sigh. She turned. Ember jumped and caught her with her Total Eclipse. One. Two. Three.

She didn’t celebrate. Ember motioned for a mic. “Why are you out here, Natty?”

Natalya motioned to the women at her feet. “I was helping you.”

“Right. “You’ll get your rematch, I promise. But in the meantime, I didn’t need your help ensuring that happens. Stay out of my way. Don’t get involved. I am going to defend this title,” she took the belt from the ref and raised it above her head, “on my own.” With that, she threw the mic towards Natalya and left the ring.


	33. Getting Involved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Christmas eve, but the wrestlers aren’t in front of a crowd. Nope. They’re outside doing some roster bonding in the snow. Ready, aim, fire!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this! There’s not any plot advancement, it’s just a fun chapter for the holidays. And this would never actually happen on the show. One of the benefits of writing fanfiction! So, Merry Christmas to you and yours. Enjoy!

December 24, 2018 (Filmed December 19th)

Charly Caruso blew on her hands then put on her gloves. She took a mic from the cameraman then took her position. You stayed just out of view as the industrial floodlights turned on. “We’re here at WWE headquarters in Connecticut where it is snowing! There was already a little bit of snow on the ground, but now it’s coming down in blankets. Y/N, can you tell us what we’re doing out in the weather tonight?”

You smiled and dusted from cold fluff off the top of your hat. “Charly, while things have been going pretty well, but it still feels a little tense backstage. So, as a team-building experience, we are out here to have one big, giant snowball fight. 

Every wrestler for themselves. If some goes down your neck, walk it out. The only rules are no pre-frozen ammo and no rock centers. Anything you throw has to have been made tonight. Snowballs can be made by anyone if you want to team up and make a stash, but only from today’s snowfall.”

She laughed. “What inspired this?”

“It’s the holidays. And I haven’t Dean in the face with a snowball in over twenty years. I’m not waiting another season.”

“So, you will be getting involved in the fight?”

Behind the camera, someone shouted that everybody was there. “Of course, I’m getting involved. I’m part of the team. You are too, so feel free to join in. No one will hit you until you throw that first snowball. After that, you are on your own. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a cousin to freeze.”

In the front lawn of headquarters, several snow drifts had been morphed into forts. None of them were occupied because everybody was circled up in the center.

“Alright, everyone,” you shouted, “you know the rules. We keep going until we run out of snow.”

“That’s going to take hours!” You turned to see Baron stop his feet.

“Exactly. We’ve still got a three-hour show to fill.” Then, reaching down and forming your first snowball. “Ready.” Most everyone followed your motions. “Aim. Fire!” It caught Dean in the chin, breaking apart and spraying his face with cold.

He sputtered and readied his own. “Oh, it’s on, little girl.”

“Little girl? Just try to keep up, old ma-“ You got a mouthful of snow. The team-building had begun.

Corey, Cole, and Renee took over a fort and turned it into an announce station. “Who knew that everyone had such good aim?” Cole noted.

“Couldn’t Y/N have given us a table inside?” Corey tightened his scarf. “How does she expect us to report if our teeth are chattering?”

Renee scoffed and readied a handful of snow. “Get over yourself, Corey. Have a little fun.” Then she dumped the fluff over his head.

At another fort, there was territory battle going on. On one side, the Ascension and the glorious team of Roode and Gable were fending off Drake Maverick and the Authors of Pain. Chad was in charge of making ammo, with Roode watching their backs. Viktor and Konnor maintained the forward fight. Suddenly there was incoming from another angle. The Revival had somehow convinced Braun to join them. And Braun was throwing giant snowballs. Snowballs big enough to flatten Bobby Roode face forward into the cold when he got hit in the back of the head. But when the Revival failed to cover him well enough, he took Wilder by the collar and belt and slid him across the snow into the center of the volley. Then he did the same with Dawson.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, the ladies had fox-holed a bunch of the guys. Mojo and Drew McIntyre were using Curt Hawkins and Jose as human shields. Jinder and Elias were doing the same with the Singh Brothers, who were doing their best to use their scarves as slingshots. Ember and Natalya were leading the charge against them. Behind them, Bayley and Sasha kept them fully stocked, and continued the assault when someone’s arm got tired. Everyone hesitated in their throwing when the Riott Squad joined them, including the guys. Then Sarah beamed Elias right in the face with her shot. Battle lines drawn, a fresh wave of snowballs flew through the air.

The longer the show went on, the odder the alliances became. You were even teamed up with Dolph. It didn’t last long and ended with you tripping him into the snow while Seth cheered you on. Renee and Dean were fighting with each other, cackling when Corey got in the way. Rhonda was side-by-side with Nia and Tamina against Alexa, Alicia, and Mickie. You didn’t catch the fall-out from that, but you had a feeling it would come up again on the next Raw. Heath Slater and Tyler Breeze had taken a strong control of the last fort and were defending it by themselves against Finn, Seth, Titus, Apollo, the B-Team, and Dana. They lost as they were surrounded and pelted with ammo until they surrendered.

Charly was wise and didn’t get involved until the end. You saw a cameraman nearly drop his gear, then toss snow in her general direction. Hopefully, anyone watching at home got to see it too.

Grass, brown and scraggly, started showing from under the snow. It had stopped falling from the sky about two hours into the battle. While it had been a figure of speech, everyone was actually running out of snow. A techie gave you all the signal to circle back up in the middle. Together you shouted, “happy holidays” and “Merry Christmas” and “happy new year” over the top of one another. Seth got one last handful of snow and shoved it down the back of Dean’s sweatshirt. Everyone laughed as Dean chased him off past the lights and the show came to an end.


	34. Double Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another holiday night has come around, but nobody is really celebrating. The upcoming Royal Rumble is on everyone’s mind. And the Reader is having trouble controlling her roster as the date draws near.

Monday Night Raw – December 31 (Recorded December 28th)

You were just getting into the arena when Seth waltzed up behind you. “Hey, Y/N, you got a second?”

Chuckling, you pulled your bags to a stop. “Sure. You look like you’re about to ask for a match.” When he sheepishly shrugged, you had to smile. “What did you have in mind?”

“An open challenge for both of my titles. Tonight.” His brow creased the longer you didn’t respond. “Is… is that going to be a problem?”

With a sigh, you stopped biting your lip. “Schedule-wise… no. But for you? I don’t know, Seth. Just a few weeks ago you had that gauntlet defense. You almost beat your record for the longest single match on Raw. You know you don’t have to defend them both in one night, right? The Intercontinental has been your gold this year so you could defend it tonight. And the Universal is new to you so you could defend it on the first Raw of the new year.”

“But the WWE universe needs to see that I can handle being a champion of both every week.” He looked you up and down. “Do you think I can’t handle it?”

“No. Yes! I just don’t want to lose you because you drop from exhaustion.” Rubbing the bridge of your nose you tried to come up with something. On a hunch, you looked him over. “You’ve already warmed up and everything, haven’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“Fine.” You took a deep breath. “How about this? Defend the Intercontinental at the beginning of the show, open challenge as always. Then defend the Universal the same way but at the end. Bookend Monday Night Rollins. You having time to recover a bit would make me feel so much better. Does that sound reasonable?”

Seth wrapped an arm around your shoulder. “Yeah, it does. I’ll head to the ring and do my thing.”

“And I’ll find you a contender. Now get outta here,” you added with a grin, pushing at his chest. He hurried away, missing how your face fell.

***

Seth bounced on his toes, mic in hand. “I’m not going to waste my breath with what you guys know already. A fighting champion defends his championship at every given opportunity, anyplace, anytime, against anyone. So, who back there is going to fight me for the Intercontinental championship?” He dropped the mic to one side and readied himself in the middle.

A beat took over the speakers. “No way, Jose,” sang through them, and the dancing man himself came out to the stage. He pointed at Seth in the ring. Then he led his conga line down the ramp and around the ring. They left the arena as he climbed the steps.

Jojo announced the title match and the bell rang.

Both men had fun. Jose was able to get Seth to dance with him for a minute or two, much to the pleasure of the crowd. The gif makers were going to have a field day. When it turned back to business, Jose repeatedly impressed Seth. They would fight together, break apart, then back, and apart. Seth would nod his head with a smile. Jose was going places, he agreed. Not tonight. But soon. Either way, they were both panting and half-asleep on their feet by the end. After a pair of northern light suplexes, Seth went high for one last frog splash to seal the deal. He could barely sit back onto his heels after the ref counted to three.

“It’s a good thing Y/N set your other match for the end, isn’t it?” Jose rasped, rolling onto his stomach.

Seth took back his title and helped him to his feet. “Yeah. Leave it to an Ambrose to see straight through my limits.” He smiled to the crowd as Jose lifted his hand. They leaned on each other to leave the arena.

***

Starting this week, you had built another tournament for number one contender for the Raw Women’s championship. The winner would go on to face Ember Moon at the Royal Rumble. Despite how simple you tried to make it, that seemed to be a dilemma for Corey Graves.

“It’s a hard choice! I don’t know why I’m the only one who can see it.”

Michael Cole agreed in his own way. “Renee, if you were fighting in the women’s division, which would you rather win? The tournament that starts tonight for a title shot, or the Royal Rumble for a WrestleMania match? It’s not unfathomable, but I don’t think anyone would consider trying to win both.”

She didn’t think about it long. “In theory, I would want to win this tournament and my title shot. I’d rather just fight the few women from this roster than twenty-nine from all of them. Then whoever wins the Royal Rumble could possibly challenge me, and I would still get a WrestleMania match.” Her co-hosts liked her answer, then refocused on Mickie James and Rhonda Rousey fighting in the ring.

The veteran was using her experience to run Rhonda into the canvas. But at every other minute, Rhonda had the upper hand. Their styles and strengths were dramatically different. It didn’t matter who hit whom. Everybody in the front rows visibly flinched each time one of them crashed down or took a hit. Renee went back to her earlier statement.

“Can I just say, what I said earlier was just a theory for a hypothetical question. I like my job as it is, and I would not want to be in the ring with either of these women. Call me a coward or a self-preservationist. When it comes to the brutality that is the Raw women’s division, I’ll take either. Corey, what about you? You used to wrestle.”

“Nope. With the guys, all you gotta do is hit his ego or his jewels and he’s done. With the women, you have to be the best at surviving. Uh-uh. Looking at them, I am happily retired.”

The match ended with Mickie getting caught in an arm-bar. Rhonda advanced.

***

Your phone almost fell out of your hands as a ruckus approached your office. Elias was growling at Dean, and Dean was trying to plead his case. “Come on. Losing in our last bout was your own fault. And your guitar only got broken because you brought it into the ring. I had nothing to do with it!”

Elias snarled and shoved his finger into Dean’s chest. “Singing off-key as badly as you did threw me off my rhythm. You owe me another guitar.”

“Right. Like I owe Jericho a debt for his silly light jacket. I made him another one. Ooh! Can I make you a guitar?”

“No!”

“Guys, guys! Dean,” you huffed. “What is all this?”

Elias came to stand on your other side, far from your cousin. “He wants another match. I don’t. If I never have to hear his voice again it’ll be too soon. And he is not going to Dirty Deeds me again if I have any choice in the matter.”

You fought back a chuckle. “Look, Dean. You did beat him that last time. If he wanted a rematch, he would have asked for one. Let the issue go.” Beside you, Elias nodded victoriously.

“Then you have to find me a match tonight. The schedule is almost full, so he doesn’t have much time to find an opponent. I was just trying to make it easy on everyone.”

“Oh no, you weren’t!”

Raising your arms to their chests, you separated them before another shouting competition could start. You gasped with an idea. “Hey, Dean.”

“Yeah?”

“Nobody’s going to like it except you. But are you up for a handicap match?”

He grinned. “Yeah.”

“Great. Then you guys just joined a tag match. You and Elias versus Jinder with Sunil and Samir Singh.” Before Elias could retort, you placed a finger over his lips. “He won’t Dirty Deeds you if you’re his partner for the match. As for having to listen to him, beat Jinder and the Singhs quick, and you can go back to perfecting your musical craft. Deal?”

Elias grumbled. “Deal. But if he tries anything-“

“Then you have my permission to do whatever it takes. Halo powerbombs. Jumping knees. Break another guitar if you’d like. Just… don’t break him.” You patted Dean’s shoulder while looking at Elias. “Renee would have my head if I let anything happen to ‘im.” With a grunt, Elias shouldered his way past the both of you.

Dean smile twisted in confusion. “Wait a minute. I thought you were helping me?”

“You got a match, didn’t you?”

He laughed and lightly punched at your chin. “Thanks, Ladybug.”

***

If Elias was able to have his way, he would have taken a position in another corner from Dean. But that usually isn’t allowed in tag matches. Instead, he was more than happy to have the first turn in the ring. For a while. Then Sunil and Samir, while not usually known for their in-ring skills, had a quick tag system the New Day would have been jealous of. Jinder stayed out of the way of their hopping in and out of the ropes. He mostly laughed and kept a close eye on Dean.

Dean was more than happy to play cheerleader for a while. “You almost had him. Get back in there!” He was always stretched far over the ropes, ready for a tag. Though there were a few times he could have stretched more but let Elias get pulled back into the ring. He knew that at any second, the Drifter was going to snap and probably raise hell on the brothers. He wasn’t far off. The only thing wrong with that plan was that they beat a hasty retreat and tagged in Jinder. Then Dean reached to boarder line hyperextension until he could leap through the ropes.

While Jinder and Dean fought tooth and nail in the center, Elias sat on the steps. He pondered why he was even there to help Dean. Coming to some conclusion that he didn’t have to stick around, he got up to leave. Sunil and Samir misread his motivations and raced around the ring to engage him. As such, he wasn’t there to switch with Dean. It was a lucky hit. But Dean fell like a stone and was pinned. Out on the floor, Elias flipped Sunil and tossed Samir into the barricade. He stormed back up the ramp.

No one could tell if he was mad at Dean or himself.

***

Unfortunately, you didn’t see the end of the match. In a back hallway, there was an intense skirmish going on. Akam and Rezar were attacking everyone in sight. Titus and Heath were already curled up in one corner. Tyler Breeze and the Ascension were trying to untangle themselves from Dolph’s unconscienced limbs. Drake Maverick directed where to throw whom. Drew McIntyre had even gotten caught in the fray. When you ran up, they had a hold each of Bo and Curtis. Their bodies ran into the walls on either side of you.

“What are you doing?” For starters, you glared at Drake, freezing him in his tracks. The words died on your tongue as you heard cackling from above. Looking up, the Riott Squad was sitting on top of one of the tall crates.

Before you could chew them out too, Ruby laughed. “Just enjoying the show, Y/N. And we stayed out of the way. You wouldn’t want your new Raw women’s tag champions getting hurt, do you?”

You swallowed a growl. “Don’t you guys have an open challenge to get to?” They climbed off, giggling. Once they were gone, you turned back to the disarray. Drake Maverick and the Authors of Pain were gone. In their wake, your male tag team division and several other single wrestlers were trying to make it to their feet. You helped Bobby Roode up for starters. “Never a dull moment,” you muttered to yourself.

***

The Riott Squad made their way to the ring. Sarah and Liv took their time posing at each corner, holding their titles aloft while Ruby stood strong in the center. Once they had bounced back to stand at either shoulder, she lifted her mic to her lips. “Since it is a night of champions, we should probably do what champions do. Defend out titles. But I can already tell you, there’s nobody back there, of the women’s or men’s rosters, that is ready for us. Either way, if there is anyone back there who thinks they can prove us wrong…” she turned towards the ramp. Liv and Sarah laid their titles on the canvas in front of them like a line in the sand. “…Then get your asses out there so we can beat them.” Ruby rolled out of the ring to stand between it and the ramp.

Bayley and Sasha answered the challenge. They still glared at each other, but neither was happy with how Clash of Champions had gone. It was the last show of an old year. If they got tonight right, gold would be theirs before midnight. Bayley stayed close to one side of the ramp, Sasha to the other, each welcoming one side of fans but still keeping an eye on the ring. They shouldered to either side of Ruby, then entered the ring to stand in front of the titles.

Once the bell rang, it looked like Bayley and Sasha had made it past their differences. Liv caught the brunt of several Bayley to Bellies. While she was still catching her breath, Sasha was tagged in and then put her into a Bank Statement. Sarah dashed in to break it up and prevent a tap-out. The challengers were kept to defense, unable to access their usual tricks since the referee had them scouted. And he made sure to know where Ruby was at all times. She paced the ring like a caged lioness, looking for an opening.

The split second he wasn’t looking, she struck. Sasha went for a tag, but Bayley wasn’t there. She had hit her head on the apron on the way down and looked like she was out cold. Ruby popped up back in her team’s corner appearing about as innocent as a cat with a bloody feather hanging from her mouth. Sarah caught Sasha again and forcefully held her down for the pin. The bell rang, and then Liv and Ruby joined in helping her beat up Sasha and rolling her out of the ring.

“See!” Ruby said, watching Bayley and Sasha help each other up the ramp. “There isn’t anyone who can take these titles from us. We’re too quick. Too many steps ahead. Stronger and faster than anyone who would step to us. The Riott Squad is the top of the mountain. We have proven that already, and we’re going to make sure every woman back there knows it. Including Y/N.”

She sneered and snarked with Sarah and Liv as they took their titles back from the ref. “And at the Royal Rumble, you better have the swat teams and national guard on call. ‘Cause’s there’s going to be a riot.”

***

Backstage, you were taking a much-needed moment to yourself. But it wasn’t pleasant. And you didn’t notice that you had company.

Finn chuckled, watching you try to stretch out your arms but groaning all the while. “Why are you so sore?” He hopped on a crate and beckoned you over for a mini massage.

“Don’t tell Dean; I’ve got a jumpstart on my New Year’s resolution. I’m going to be able to defend myself no matter what. Give or take a few manager headaches in between. But Jeff Hardy has got quite the work-out if you didn’t know.” You rubbed the back of your neck as Finn let you go. Much better. “Thanks.”

“Didn’t he work out with Sheamus lately?”

“Did he? I don’t know. Anyway, I’m going to be working with several of the cruiserweights next. I like their style probably most of all.” You avoided eye contact after the mention of Sheamus and redirected the topic. “But I doubt you came to help me work out my aches. You want to answer Seth’s open challenge.”

He shrugged. “Based on the system we have, I could have answered it anyway. But I wanted to ask you since you could do something about what happened with Braun and ‘Dr. M’ last time.”

That made you cringe. “Yeah. I’m really sorry about that. I meant to ask any of the former managers how to keep track of teleporting wrestlers. Being someone with that same power, do you have any tips?”

Finn bit his lip and looked off in thought. “Not really. When Balor has the reigns, we go where we want and there’s nothing you can do. Your best bet would be to get a hold of Braun.”

“Right,” you scoffed. “Like that’s so easy-“ You were pushed one way as a large body ran past you and barreled Finn to the floor. After a second, you recognized the monstrous figure. “Braun? What- stop! Braun!” Ignoring his elbows flying back towards your face, you tried to pull him away. “What are you doing. Stand down!”

Several referees rushed in to help. It was only enough to make a hole so one could drag Finn away to safety. You stepped between them before Braun could charge again.

Braun growled and stood to his whole height. “You can’t change what’s coming, Y/N. It’s inevitable and Finn Balor is not going to be Universal champion any time soon.”

“You know, I liked it better when you were thinking for yourself,” you growled back. “If you, or Dr. M, have issues with Finn, my office is always open. I make the matches around here. We are not going to make a habit of handling this backstage.” You sighed. “I thought we were long past this, Braun. Why are you letting Dr. M control you?”

He looked dejected for a split second, then sneered. “He isn’t. If anything, things are a lot clearer.” Then he turned on his heel and thundered back the way he came.

A ref tapped at the side of your leg. Finn was impossible to see through the administrators. The ref caught your eye and shook his head. You groaned. With that in mind, you left to make sure there was someone else who could answer Seth’s challenge.

***

Seth was already in the ring. With Finn hurt, Dean already having been in a match, and several of the roster taken out by AOP, the options for a challenger were lower than usual. He wasn’t worried. Not really. Seth pushed his hair back again, waiting for anyone’s opening theme. He nodded as Baron Corbin walked out. The other man shouted something from the stage but didn’t repeat it once Seth was in earshot. Like the beginning of the night, Jojo announced the title defense, and the bell rang.

He wasn’t worried. Not really. Not when Baron sling-shot himself back into the ring and caught the back of Seth’s head. Not when Baron dodged a suicide dive. Not even when he was caught in a Deep Six. Every time Seth was able to kick out before three. Now, how close it was to three started to get nerve-racking.

It took every bit of the last ounce of Seth’s energy to beat Baron. When the referee handed him back his titles, he had to hold them up while laying on his back in the ring. Maybe it hadn’t been such a smart idea to defend both in one night. But he did it. Now the question was changing into how long he could keep doing that.


	35. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Royal Rumble is rolling closer and the roster is getting antsy.

Monday Night Raw – January 7, 2019

The lights flickered in the arena. Cole, Corey, and Renee fell silent at their post. When everyone could see again, Dr. M was standing, alone, in the ring. He cleared his throat and fiddled with his mic. “Ms. Y/N, I need to discuss something with you.” He sang-spoke your name again before your music hit and you walked out onto the stage. “There you are. Braun and I want to defend out tag titles tonight.”

You nodded but tilted your head in confusion. “Okay… that could have been said over a phone call. Why call me out here?”

“We want to defend them against the Authors of Pain.”

Ah. “And why is that?” You crossed your arms, blocking yourself off as if he could see the nervousness in your eyes from the ring.

His cheek twitched with a grin. “We both know who is the real power here on Monday Night Raw. It is not you with your secrets. Seth Rollins with his champion’s control. Or even Braun and I. It is in the tag division here, in Akam and Rezar.”

“Why should I give you what you want?”

“Power does not come from tearing our opponents down, but from recognizing their strengths. Then, when we beat them, our strength is credited at a higher standard.”

“We?” You made a show of looking around him. “Are you defending alone, or do you have Braun hiding somewhere, ready to strike someone from behind. Since that seems to be what you are training him in.”

Dr. M stepped to rest his forearms on the ropes. “He will come when he is needed.”

It didn’t matter how many times you’d had to talk to him. Dr. M was always going to give you the creeps. “I shouldn’t be giving you anything after what you two did to Finn Balor last week. Maybe what went around will come back around,” you quipped. Dr. M merely smiled. You twisted to leave.

“And Ms. Ambrose.” You turned at his voice. “Don’t let your hidden priorities stay hidden for too long. They will fester and infect you. And those closest to you. Too much longer and,” he ducked his head, “not even I will be able to heal you.”

Your temples jolted as you tensed your jaw. “Good luck with your match.”

***

The Authors of Pain and Drake Maverick entered the arena a few minutes later. They had just reached the top of the ramp when Drake was snatched from between his charges. Braun threw him off the stage, then feel to his knees. Akam and Rezar rained blows on him until Dr. M was there to assist him. It took a minute, but they eventually spun and stumbled their way down the ramp and into the ring.

Corey got more excited the longer the match went on. “Did you see that? Rezar is keeping Braun on the run. No one has been able to do that since… well, probably Brock Lesnar. And Akam is keeping Dr. M away from… wait.”

“I sorta say,” Cole added, “didn’t this same plan happen with the Revival back at Clash of Champions?”

Renee breathed, “oh no,” then everything broke apart. Playing into the Revival’s hands may have worked then, but AOP had them scouted. Drake, now recovered, made sure that his teammates knew exactly where Dr. M was, and when to switch up their tactics. Dr. M was tossed through the ropes where he bounced off the apron hard. He didn’t get up as both men dog piled on top of Braun. They sprung up and caught Drake jumping off the turnbuckles after the ref counted to three.

The new Raw tag team champions were too busy celebrating to see Dr. M smiling, leaned back against the side of the ring.

***

As the commotion headed your way, you went ahead and put away your phone and clipboard. The trio that rounded the corner made your brow crease, but they came anyway. Finn Balor was doing his best to keep Tyler Breeze and Zack Ryder from fighting backstage, while also adding in his own thoughts. “I’ve been fighting just as hard for my own goals, t’ank you. We’re here.”

You looked back and forth between them. “Gentlemen. May I help you?”

“I want an opportunity,” Zack said, jumping in front of the other two men. Tyler pushed him back and said the same thing. Finn met your gaze and shook his head.

Oh dear. “I would love to give each of you an opportunity, but I don’t know how I am going to give each of you an equal chance to have one… unless-“

Breeze bounced on his toes. “Unless what?”

“Unless she puts us in a triple t’reat match. Tonight.” Finn arched his eyebrows. “Am I right?” He nodded and stepped back with a smile as you shrugged in the affirmative.

Zack reeled, growling. “A triple threat match. Really?” He started to pace back and forth across your office. He huffed as you caught his shoulders.

“Yes. And, I will keep whoever wins tonight in mind for anything that comes up. Will that suffice?” Again, you looked between the three of them. They avoided looking at each other, and only Finn was able to meet your eye. “Give me a little while; be ready. You all will have your match.” Gulping down the dryness in your mouth, you shot them a smile. “And may the best man win.”

***

“Ladies and gentlemen… Elias.”

He glared at the crowd from under his spotlight. They waited, impatiently, for him to speak or sing. Gritting his teeth, he strummed a bit, working out what he wanted to say. He sang about how annoying Dean was. How he was the reason they lost last week. About how he wanted another fight so that he could break Dean apart for his time wasted over the past several weeks.

Elias was about to say more when he was hit from behind. Dean came out of the dark and knocked Elias over, stomping on his gut so he couldn’t stand. “Would you just shut up!” Looking around, Dean picked up the guitar and played a few sour chords. Elias grabbed at his boot. Dean tugged his foot away and dropped the guitar on Elias’s hand. While the Drifter rolled around on the canvas, Dean left the ring. “Besides, I thought we were done. That’s what you said last week. So, I’m moving on. You’re not worth my time any more.”

“I’m not worth your time?” Elias shouted back. He stumped to his feet and fell through the ropes to chase after Dean. “Annoying, crazy, son of a gun. You were the one who-“

A Dirty Deeds wiped him out.

“Don’t call me crazy,” Dean shot over his shoulder.

***

The other half of the women’s number one contender tournament was scheduled next. Natalya and Dana met in the ring. The shook hands, then broke apart as the bell rang. Backstage, Ember watched the fight from a monitor. One of these women could face her at the Royal Rumble. Or one of them could win the Rumble and face her at WrestleMania, assuming she still had the title then. She watched the pre-match comments from both competitors.

Dana had been keeping up with everyone’s stats, especially Ember’s. “But I have flipped a new leaf. I’ve got a better way to use that knowledge, a better plan. Tonight, I’m going to put that plan into motion. By the time the Royal Rumble gets here, the whole locker room will know how I can break down any woman in my path. And it starts with Natalya.”

“I’m not worried about any plans of Dana’s,” Natalya said in her video, “I’m focused on getting the job done. No numbers, no second-guess what’s the best plan, just go out there and do what needs to be done. I’ve been champion before. And I am going to be champion again.”

Ember nodded and gripped her title tight as Natalya was true to her word. She flinched as Dana took an especially hard bump. By the time the referee’s three-count rolled around, the other half of next week’s match was set. Renee was super excited about announcing it.

“Next week, Rhonda Rousey will go head-to-head against her best friend, Natalya, to see who will face Ember Moon at the Royal Rumble. And I bet it is going to be another fantastic match.”

***

 **Finn** vs. Breeze v. Ryder

Personally, you were there to que the entrances for the triple threat match. You would be watching it from the back with Triple H, who was residing over the production side of the show that night. There was always a McMahon in that role, in every show.

Balor, Breeze, and Ryder kept to their corners at the bell. After another second of hesitation, Finn ran and drop-kicked Ryder out of the ring, then leapt to his feet to engage Breeze. They kept the ring to themselves for a while before Ryder came flying back in and pushed Finn out. Then he had a turn fighting Breeze. When Finn came back and acted like he was going to push Ryder out again, Breeze stopped him.

“Hold up! It’s my turn to get thrown out. You guys go at for a while so I can catch my breath or something.”

Finn and Ryder shared a look and a shrug, then helped each other flip Tyler Breeze over the top rope. He came back with a vengeance a few minutes later. Having caught his breath meant he could flip and spin around both of his opponents faster than they could react. But neither took enough for a pin. The pin didn’t come until Ryder wiped Breeze out on one side of the ring, then turned around into a drop kick that bounced him into a corner. Finn scaled the ropes and came down in a Coup de Gras. He didn’t know what opportunity he had just won, but there was one in mind that he was wishing for.

***

At the sound of the electric guitar, Dean bounced his way down to the ring. He gave John Cone a wave and checked his tape as the next music took over. Baron Corbin entered, laser focused on Dean all the way to the ring. They met in a tight lock. Baron lost ground first, but Dean was the one pushed across the ring. They met again, giving blows to each other’s torsos and heads to build up bruising that would help later. With the third meet, Dean caught Baron in a series of submission holds. They were old school. Dirty and rough. Desperate, Baron was able to get his feet under him and jumped just high enough to break Dean away by his jaw.

They were recovering on either side of the ring when Elias strolled out from behind the announce table, guitar on his shoulder. He was humming to himself. That it was playing through his head mic was driving Corey manic.

Dean watched as Elias smirked and climbed onto the apron. He clenched his fists the further away he got, walking closer to where Baron was watching in a far corner. “Don’t you do it. Don’t you-“

Elias slapped Baron upside the back of the head. It was enough for the referee to call the match a disqualification and award the win to Baron. Baron took it with a laugh. He continued laughing as Dean glared at Elias’s exit, strumming his guitar.

***

Curt Hawkins slinked along a shadowy part of the hall. He looked left and right, then bumped into Seth Rollins. Seth squinted as Curt hid something behind his back. “Watcha got there, Hawkins?”

“Nothing that belongs to you anymore.” Curt tried to run past him again, but Seth snagged the hidden object. Seth held up the Universal title. Then he started laughing. “What? I had to try something since nothing else has worked.”

Seth continued to laugh. “And you almost got away with it… if this wasn’t a replica.” He held up his other hand, showing off the real Universal, and the Intercontinental. “I mean, I can understand why you couldn’t tell the difference. It’s not like you’ve held a title in a while. Here,” Curt froze as Seth dropped the real red and gold title onto his shoulder. “Feel the difference?”

He was off like a shot the second the leather settled. He looked left and right. Then he bounced off a tall chest and went sprawling. Drew McIntyre bent a knee and picked up the title. With a glare, he handed it back to Seth. He hauled Curt to his feet and sent him scuttling down the hall while the champ slung both titles over his shoulders. When he turned around, Seth was smiling at him.

“Do you want another shot at one?”

Drew leered at him. “Are you offering such a shot for the IC?”

“I’m a working champ. Hell yeah, I’m offering. But are you accepting?” Seth held out his hand. Drew took it without a second thought.

“I’ll find us a ref.”

“And I’ll square it up with Y/N.”

***

The number one contender’s match for the women’s tag titles was brutal. Tamina and Nia had worked out their timing with devastating accuracy. Mickie James and Alicia Fox had Alexa Bliss ringside with them; she kept on eye out for both of their competitors and shouted at them the perfect times to attack. But unlike with the AOP earlier in the show, something was off.

Alicia missed a command and filled in with her own ideas. As such, she walked into an attack and quick tag-off between Nia and Tamina. Mickie was laying on the floor on the other side of the ring and couldn’t be moved. Alexa tried distracting the ref from the apron but dropped to the ground when Tamina rushed her. Nia pinned Alicia, ensuring their match at the Royal Rumble.

Quick as a flash, before the bell had stopped ringing, the Riott Squad invaded the ring. They kicked Alicia out to the rest of her team, then focused on who they would be facing in a few weeks. Nia got stuck with Ruby and Liv on each arm. Sarah held her own against Tamina, raking her nails across her face and dropping her to her knees. As suddenly as they appeared, they darted out and regrouped at the top of the ramp. Sarah and Liv picked up their championship belts from the floor and held them high while Ruby glowered from over their shoulders.

***

Alexa came stomping up to you by a backstage tv. You held up your hands in surrender, but she still did her best to get in your face. “What kind of a manager are you?”

“One doing the best she can. I can’t help it if your team loses a match.” You tried to walk around her, but she pushed you back. You looked down at where her hand had been as she continued to talk.

“We didn’t have any kind of preparation! And what was that thing with the Riott Squad?”

Now you were peeved. But you were the general manager. You could keep your cool. Or most of it. “I’m sorry. Next time I’ll try to give you two weeks’ notice instead of one. Though, if you want your ladies to be champions, they really need to be ready for anything at any time. Such as the Riott Squad.” Alexa sputtered and gaped at you. “But you’ve got plenty of time to work on that. You won’t be getting another chance until after the Royal Rumble. Is that enough of a heads up?”

Not waiting for her answer, you shouldered past her.

***

IC Drew vs. **Seth** , Dolph interferes, makes his own challenge

Seth and Drew put on another clinic for the Intercontinental. It was going well, the crowd as on its feet, the announce team was fully engaged, when Dolph got involved. Drew was getting up from one of Seth’s suicide dives when he came around a corner with a chair. Drew dodged, but the hit wasn’t meant for him. Seth dropped. The second swing caught Drew in the stomach; the third rang across his back and dropped him to the floor. Then Dolph stood over him and shouted, “I’m going to take my chance. The one you stole from me. TLC and just about every week since then.”

Even though Seth had won by disqualification, Dolph tossed the champion in the ring and tossed in the chair too. He grabbed a mic from a techie and circled the fallen champ. “You think that just because you defend the gold every week that you are deserving of it. But I used something out of your book tonight, Seth. Chairs to the back have always been your thing. They’re what you use when you can’t beat someone with your bare hands. When I use a chair, it’s an exclamation point on my skill and my prestige in this business. I am going to erase you, Seth, from the Intercontinental championship with pride. It’ll be a service to the WWE.”

Drew rushed into the ring, but got caught up on the ropes. Dolph stuck him again and again with the chair until he was satisfied and Drew’s movement was his labored breathing.

***

Backstage, Drew leaned against the corner between two hallways. He used the crease of the brick to stretch a difficult place between his shoulder blades. As Finn stepped into view, he stood tall. “What do you want?” he growled.

“I should be asking you that. What do you want, Drew? A title. Or just to beat Dolph?” He easily dodged Drew swinging a punch. “If I can keep Dolph off your back until you win the Universal, would you be willing to make a deal?”

Drew huffed. “And what’s that gonna cost me, _Balor_? A bit of my soul?”

“No,” Finn chuckled, “though that might be easier for you to give. No. If you win because I kept Dolph out of the way, I want to fight you for it first. There aren’t any more rematches. And I know neither of us want Seth getting his hands on it again. Consider it?” Finn held out his hand.

Looking at it with distrust, Drew hesitantly shook his hand. He couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down his spine seeing Finn’s overly-bright smile. Drew took his hand back like the exchange burned. Finn chuckled again, deep in his throat. Then he turned on his heel and left the Scottish Psychopath in the flickering lights of the hallways.


	36. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The members of the Raw roster are coming to crossroads, including the Reader. Depending on which direction they take, it will determine what happens to them at the Royal Rumble and in other future pay-per-views.

Monday Night Raw – January 14, 2019

The Authors of Pain were ready to be celebrated as the new Raw tag team champions. Drake Maverick stood between Akam and Rezar. He looked left and right to the matching belts on either side of him and smiled. “Welcome to the new Monday Night Raw!” He smugly started to pace the ring. “Dr. M had one thing right: we are the real power in the tag team division here. Where he uses smoke and mirrors to get his edge, we’ve got it in the power of our fists. He uses Braun like a wild card that he could never hope to fully control. Akam and Rezar are like brothers. They cannot be separated, and Dr. M’s addled attacks will never be able to break them apart. As for me, well,” he shrugged, “I make sure these powerhouses get where they need to go and get what they deserve. And tonight, they deserve to be-“

Drake gulped as the lights went out. When they came back on, Dr. M and Braun were standing between the ramp and the ring.

Akam grabbed Drake and stood in front of him. Rezar stood by Akam’s shoulder. Drake peaked around them. “What do you want? Automatic rematches aren’t-“

“Be quiet, leech,” Dr. M growled. “You have said enough. And not all of it true.”

“Oh, really?” Drake batted his teammate’s protective hands out of the way. “Would you care to enlighten us?”

Dr. M ascended the stairs and Braun stepped onto the apron. They stood outside of the ropes. “Yes, I would. Very much so.” They stepped between the ropes. The new champions took a step back, distancing themselves. Dr. M wet his lips. “We let you win the titles.”

“You did no such thing.” Drake shook his head. “I… we… why would you even dare to think that?”

Braun growled, keeping the manager from stepping forward. The two champions stared him down.

The monster among men only backed down at Dr. M’s wave. “For such a well-spoken manager, you make a lot of mistakes. Yes, Akam and Rezar are the powerhouses in this ring, and in the tag roster. They are like brothers. I could never separate them. But why would you assume I would want to? There is power in numbers. And yet,” he stroked his beard, “power means nothing if the blind lead the blind. A surgery is necessary.”

All three of them shifted uncomfortably. Drake’s hands shook as he raised his mic. “What- what do you mean by that?”

Dr. M grinned. “To heal blindness, the cataracts must be removed. Unfortunately, it is not something I can do. I am here in the WWE to heal, yes, but I can’t do this like the other maladies I have ended. This, the Authors of Pain will have to do for themselves. They will have to make a choice. Continue living in darkness and have a shallow title reign, or go to surgery. Make the necessary adjustments. And stand tall, proud, and truly powerful when they are no longer held back.” Dr. M nodded at Braun and they went back through the ropes. He giggled. “Be careful that you make the same choice as them, Maverick.”

Drake rushed forward and pushed Dr. M off the apron, who rolled with a laugh. Braun caught Drake by the throat and tossed him back to the center of the ring. He barely made it through the ropes himself before AOP was attacking. He clotheslined them both. When they stayed down, he nodded and went to stand by his tag partner. They were gone with another flicker of lights.

***

With that drama out of the way, you hurried Seth to make his entrance. He high-fived Drake on their way by, then continued to the ring for his title match against Dolph.

They fought hard. But something was holding Dolph back. He kept looking back towards the stage. Other times he stopped mid-attack to check ringside behind his back. Seth wasn’t to capitalize every time, but often enough. Seth almost hoped Drew McIntyre would interfere; it would be better than only having half of Dolph engaging in the match.

Seth swatted at the back of Dolph’s head. “Are you going to fight or not?” He poked and pushed him, repeating his question.

Dolph finally engaged, using his saved energy to take Seth down to the canvas. While he had Seth in a choker, he checked the stage again. And the bell box. He forced Seth to roll so he could check the area behind them. Still no Drew. Dolph relaxed his grip enough to shrug. It was too much of a relax.

The match quickly flipped. Now he had all of Dolph’s attention because there wasn’t room for anything else besides defense. No room for tricks. No room to attack. A curb stomp later, Seth had officially retained his Intercontinental championship. He shouted at the ring and the crowd on his way up the ramp.

“Send anyone. Send multiple someone’s. I’ll curb stomp them all.”

***

As the match came to a close, you turned from the backstage screen to Elias. “I can’t just give you Seth’s championship, but I can give you an opportunity. A title shot. If-“

Elias rolled back his shoulders and grit his teeth.

“If you do your part. We had a deal. Don’t let this slip through your fingers.”

Elias bobbed his head. “You told me to keep him distracted. He will be.” He slung his guitar off his shoulder and toyed with the adjustments on his way by. You had to duck to avoid being hit by the neck.

Shaking your head, you went the other way. A few steps later, you stopped. Further down the hall Finn Balor and Drew McIntyre were talking. Both kept watching the other man’s back like they might be overheard. Seeing no one, they shook hands. Drew disappeared down the hall. Finn noticed you and waved before walking towards you. You snickered. “Well, there’s something you don’t see every day. What’s up with you and McIntyre?”

“Nothin’. Though he might have my head if I can’t convince you to give us a match.”

“Why wouldn’t I? Is there an unordinary stipulation or something?”

He smiled. “No. It’s jus’ I want it to be a handicap match. Drew agreed to find two other guys.”

Your brow creased. “So… you were making a deal with McIntyre… to get beat up by him and two other wrestlers?” Finn shrugged. “If that’s what you want to do, I don’t see why not. Matter of fact, if you live through it, I would have to be crazy to not be impressed. Head towards the ring. I’ll send a ref.”

Finn took your hand in both of his to thank you. After he left you alone, you rubbed at your palms. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but something didn’t feel right about Finn.

*******

He eagerly awaited his opponents. Drew came out to the stage and waited until Mojo Rawley and Jinder Mahal (sans Singh brothers) joined him before going down to the ring. They circled it, keeping Finn’s head on a swivel. Hopping onto the apron at the same time, they looked at each other confused.

Finn was smiling.

They attacked. Finn dodged at first, creating a comical moment when Mojo and Jinder crashed into one another and Drew tripped over them. But the Scotsman made it to his feet quickly. They kept him moving, ready to pounce at the first sign of exhaustion. It never came. Jinder was flipped out of the ring. Mojo saw him fall, but Finn was on the other side of the ring. He didn’t have time to process it before he was twisted into a ring post. Drew circled back after having dumped Jinder, only to be dropped kicked out of the ring himself. Finn finished Mojo off with a Coup de Grace before the other two could make it to their feet. The winner hurried out of the ring as they rushed in. 

Finn was still shooting the audience a ‘too sweet’ from the stage when you joined him. He beamed at you and gave you one too.

“Well, it’s official,” you said. “I’m not crazy. I am very impressed by you Mr. Balor. First, you beat Tyler Breeze and Zack Ryder last week. Then this week it was McIntyre, Jinder, and Mojo.” You thought for a moment, though really, you’d already come to a conclusion backstage. “It might be a little early, but how would you like a spot in an elimination chamber?”

The crowd cheered, agreeing.

“Shall we say, the first spot for the Universal Championship?”

He took your mic hand and leaned towards it. “I would like that very much.”

You nodded. “Great. Congratulations… and good luck.”

In the ring, Drew growled. It had been a trick. Their deal had been one-sided in Finn’s favor. If the demon vessel got the Universal title before him, then he was going to end up with nothing. He caught Finn’s eye and punched the canvas. Finn merely smiled back and gave him a little wave.

***

True to his word, Elias caused a distraction. Dean was deep into his rematch with Baron when he set up his stool at the base of the ramp. The catchy tune quickened Dean’s bouncing around the ring. And set Baron’s hackles on edge. The lone wolf tried to leave the ring to make him stop, but Dean caught and dropped him in a Dirty Deeds. He danced for a bit instead of going for a pin.

Baron staggered to his feet. He kept going, to his credit, prolonging the match and Elias’s concert. Corey was beside himself, irritated to a sputtering point. “I don’t care who wins this match. Just somebody make that horrendous noise stop!”

It took another Dirty Deeds, this one followed by a pin, to do so. Elias stopped playing as the bell rang. He pointed at Dean and muttered something only Dean could hear. Something that made him grip the ropes and his formally cheerful eyes to harden. Elias made a quick exit.

***

To lead into the Royal Rumble, one member from each of the participating women’s tag teams was supposed to be ready in the ring. By the time the bell was ready to ring, it was still unclear who they were going to be. Each side seemed to be waiting for the other to make a move. Impatient, Sarah Logan gave Liv Morgan a quick nudge, directing her out of the ring. Tamina did the same to Nia. The Riott Squad wasn’t worried about this match. It wasn’t for the tag titles. Just for show. And there were three of them against only two. All in all, great odds.

But as the match progressed, it turned into something more. Sarah was unable to legally call in help. And each time one of her teammates tried to get involved, the referee threatened to throw them out. Then she would be alone at Tamina’s mercy. If she had any. Scratch that. She absolutely did not have any mercy for Sarah. Liv and Ruby screeched as she was tossed around the ring. Sarah gave her own cray and tried one last ditch attack.

It didn’t work.

Tamina caught her and powerbombed her into the canvas. She stood with her boot on her chest and her gaze at the other two members for the three count. Nia whooped, celebrating with Tamina once she made it to the floor. “Is that all you’re going to have?” she called back. “The match is going to be easier than we thought!”

***

The main event was reserved for the last women’s tournament match. Rhonda and Natalya met again, shaking hands at first. The bell rang. Rhonda was immediately on the defense. She backed into a corner, curling in on herself to protect her torso from Natalya’s offense. They broke apart to catch their breaths, then began again. The ref kept having to jump out of the way. Their moves circled the ring quickly, neither wanting to give the other any ground or space to gain an upper hand.

With a triumphant yell, Natalya caught Rhonda in a sharpshooter. She sat deep, putting intense pressure on her friend’s spine. The deep squat put her off balance, though, and Rhonda was able to break the hold by grabbing a rope. She wasted no time to recover herself. Instead, she flipped Natalya around with an armbar.

“It’s my time, Natty. My turn to reign. To prove my place on this roster. Why can’t you just give me that?” She was so focused on finishing her thought, it wasn’t until the referee was physically pulling her away that she realized Natalya had tapped out. She let go. Rhonda helped Natalya to her feet. She flinched when Natalya ripped her hand away. “Natalya-“

“Don’t. Just… don’t.” She held onto her arm as she passed through the ropes. Halfway up the ramp, Ember Moon’s music hit. Natalya veered to the right and took the side stairs rather than confront the champion.

Ember had a clear path to the ring. She was wearing the title and was twirling a microphone in her hand. Rhonda asked for one as the champion took the stairs into the ring. They came to face one another in the middle, Ember standing proud and strong, Rhonda slowly twirling her mic and looking out the way Natalya left.

The champion cut to it. “You know, I have to agree with what everyone is saying about you. You’ve been putting in the work, actually trying to learn the system. But-“

“There aren’t any buts. I’ve been busting my ass to get my hands on the title again.” Rhonda swallowed a broken thought. _And breaking some other things too. Relationships I didn’t want to… haven’t broken yet_. “And come Sunday, I’m going to do just that.”

Ember paused, unimpressed. “Then what? There’s the Rumble too. Even if I lose, who says I can’t just win the Rumble and take it from you at the grandest stage of them all?” She stepped forward. Rhonda mirrored her. A kendo stick wouldn’t have fit between them.

“Try it, war goddess. You won’t make it. I’ll make sure of that.” With a growl that sneered across her face, Rhonda dropped her mic. She didn’t give Ember a backwards glance as she hurried up the ramp. On the stage she paused, then chose to take the side stairs towards backstage.


	37. Planning the Rumble and Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That last matches are set for Sunday. Several things get out of hand. Is the Reader losing control of Monday Night Raw? Is anyone noticing?

Monday Night Raw – January 21, 2018

The show hadn’t even started yet, and you knew it was going to be a long night. You ran in front of the referees and flock of wrestlers, following the sounds of a backstage brawl. You threw your hands in the air once you found it. Seth Rollins was helping Dolph Ziggler throw Drew McIntyre into a stack of crates. The second the Scotsman was inactive, they turned on each other, sending steel rods clanging and ladders crashing to the ground. You let the refs and others break them apart. The new arrival, EC3, dodged a punch and was able to pin Seth’s arms behind his back long enough for you to grab control. “Seriously, guys? If you wanted to fight, you know where to find me-“

“There wasn’t time,” Seth cut in. “Drew attacked me, then Dolph hit him-“

“And Drew tossed me into the wall,” Dolph added. They began to talk over one another, oblivious to the tall man getting back to his feet behind them. You pushed them apart and kept Drew from getting engaged.

“Oy! Stay right there.” You quickly retracted your hand from his stomach. “None of this is acceptable. From any of you,” you said, looking pointedly at Seth. “But, we still need to work this out. Seth, I can already tell you upfront that you’re not going to like this. But you will be defending your Intercontinental Championship at the Royal Rumble.”

Seth shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I like that? I’m a fighting champ.”

“It’s going to be against both McIntyre and Ziggler.” You cringed as Seth’s face fell. Then you were surprised to see the other to men not as happy as you thought they would be. “Why are you two so glum? I figured-“

Drew growled, “how come Dolph gets to be in the match? He lost fair last week. At least when I lost it was because of interference. From him. The Rumble match would have been my rematch.”

With a nod of his head, Seth agreed. Dolph pushed at Drew’s shoulder and went to add his piece but you beat him to it. “It’s because of interference that I’m putting all three of you in the match. No use getting the title match disqualified because someone gets involved where they shouldn’t.” You sighed. “If you have any questions… you know where my office is. Don’t let me get another call about you three.” Gritting your teeth, you walked away not really caring of their glaring at each other.

***

Ember Moon paced back and forth in the ring with the title on her shoulder. “All this week, really all month, I’ve been thinking about the Royal Rumble. What I would do depending on who won the tournament if any of them were more a threat than the others. And do you know what I realized?” She stopped and looked at the crowd. “I don’t care.” Ember smiled. “I don’t care which woman is coming down that ramp on Sunday. As a matter of fact, it could be any of the guys too and I wouldn’t care. And you know why? Because I am the Raw Women’s Champion. I clawed and bled to earn this title.” She raised it above her head. “And no one is going to take it from me.”

She had to stop as Rhonda Rousey’s music interrupted her. “That’s all very nice, Ember. But it’s not just anybody who’s going to be in that ring with you on Sunday. It’s going to be me.”

“And what of it?” Ember scoffed. “I don’t care who you are or what you burned to get here, I am going to keep you from holding this championship again.”

Rhonda’s jaw clenched. “Is that so?”

Now Ember knew she had her. “Yes. Yes, it is. But… we don’t have to wait until Sunday.”

“You know, I have to agree.”

A referee was there a minute later to officiate the match. Jojo stayed in her seat, listening to your orders over the headset. Renee passed the information along once it reached the announce table. “Y/N still wants the title to be defended at the Royal Rumble.”

“More practice for the women, I guess,” Corey quipped.

The women fought tooth and nail. The longer the match went on, the longer it took them both to get back to their feet. Ember climbed for a Total Eclipse, but she was ripped from the turnbuckles. Rhonda just about had Ember in an armbar when the referee was pulled out of the ring. Ruby Riott slid in, breaking the two women apart. She attacked Rhonda first, tackling her to one side. By the time she moved onto Ember, the referee had recovered and called for the disqualification in favor of Ember. Ruby rolled out of the ring with a cackle, barely making it to the floor before Rhonda made it to the ropes. She watched as Rhonda helped Ember to her feet.

“Good to see who you consider a threat around here, Ember,” she called back. “But Rhonda shouldn’t hold all your focus. That’s how you lose sight of a worthy opponent… me.” She walked backward up the ramp with a sneer. At the top, she laughed one more time at Ember and Rhonda angrily holding onto the top rope, then disappeared backstage.

***

Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan were waiting for her. They shared a hug and a flurry of giggles as you walked up. “Too bad it wasn’t a title match, Y/N,” Ruby said, “or I could have filled in for the loser on Sunday.”

“For the person you disqualified, you mean?” Huffing your emotions back into control, you crossed your arms. “And that’s assuming I wouldn’t just set them a rematch on Sunday. But that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about. You’ve got a singles match against Alicia Fox next, but you haven’t said who is going to be fighting.”

Liv snickered. “That’s assuming we were going to tell you at all.”

“It’s not Sunday yet. I could suspend you and let Tamina and Nia win by default. But I would rather not do that. Who is fighting tonight?”

The Squad bristled. They side-eyed each other, coming to an unspoken agreement. Sarah spoke up. “I am.” She shuffled on her feet. “Tamina got one over on me last week. I’m not going to let that happen tonight.”

You nodded. “Thank you. Have fun.” You walked away with your head held high. And you didn’t look back, even when you started to hear screaming. Though it did make you pause. But just for a second.

What you didn’t see was Sasha Banks and Bayley attacking the Riott Squad. Sarah was beat up the most. When Sasha and Bayley made their retreat, she wasn’t able to make it to her feet. Her teammates rushed to her side, followed by a referee. He shook his head. Ruby and Liv pointed between each other.

“Stay with her,” Liv said as their music started to play. Then she rushed off to replace Sarah in the match. Lacey Evans rounded the corner, stopping to one side of Ruby. She snorted, then made a show of stepping wide over Sarah’s outstretched legs.

When Alicia entered the arena, she was flanked by both Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. Though they weren’t in the match, they did their part. And they did it well. If Alicia wasn’t holding Liv’s attention, Alexa or Mickie was. Alicia stuck to staying in the ring, distracting the referee when Liv rolled out and was caught in a blind attack. Cole mentioned how similar the plan was to how the Riott Squad operated. And like with their planning, the strength of numbers was too much for Liv alone. Though, to her credit, Alicia moved with a bit of a limp, even as the ref raised her hand in victory.

Liv didn’t stick around. She rushed backstage to check on Ruby and Sarah.

***

In catering, the various tag teams were abuzz for the match later that night. For the number one contender spot, Chad Gable and Bobby Roode were going up against the Ascension. Whoever won that match, would face AOP at the Royal Rumble. But first, they would have to survive tonight’s lumberjack match.

Tyler Breeze walked into the fray with a smile. The glow disappeared as most everyone turned their backs on him. Shrugging, he walked around to include himself in a circle, but they split up and walked away. He tapped Bo Dallas’s shoulder. “Hey, why is everyone’s acting weird? It’s not like Dango and I are handing out fashion tickets.”

Apologetic, Bo explained. “That’s kind of the problem. Fandango has been out for months. As far as tag team events go… you can’t really participate.” He brightened up with an idea. “But if you could find a partner, then yeah, I’m sure you could join the match tonight. But until then… sorry, Breeze.” Bo turned away, leaving Breeze stunned. Stunned, but wheels turning. He left the room like a man on a mission.

***

“Come on, Y/N, tell me.”

“Nope.”

Dean wiggled his shoulders trying to think. “Hey, I’ll promise you Graeters. Is mint chocolate chip still your favorite?”

You had to smile. “Yeah, it is. But I’m not going to tell you your Rumble entry number.” You stopped him before he could ask again. “Nope. Now, do you mind? I do actually have work to do.” Dean punched lightly at your shoulder but left your office. Your face fell as another knock came to your door. “Come in.”

Elias entered. “You wanted to see me?”

With a nod, you wrote down something on a piece of paper. “Yes. I have a proposition for you, a kind of reward for helping out. This is your scheduled entry to the Royal Rumble.” Elias glanced at it, his eyebrows raising in slight approval. “But win your match… and you can enter at this number.”

He whistled.

“Just… It won’t be easy. Your opponent is Baron Corbin.” You took his relaxed strumming to mean that he wasn’t worried.

***

Nearly thirty minutes later, Elias had the better spot. He never left the ring, even though Baron had. Briefly. And he had sling-shot himself back in for a speed attack. But the new golden number was at the front of Elias’s mind and he did everything he needed to get that spot. Everything but use his guitar for anything other than making music. Elias sat back on his haunches and whistled again.

“What are you so chipper about?” Baron groaned as he sat up against the turnbuckles.

“No reason. But… my future just got a little bit brighter.” With a smile, Elias proudly let his hand be raised in victory. He shot one last triumphant grin at Baron before leaving the ring. Baron watched him leave, then focused his attention on Gorilla.

***

Curt Hawkins twirled his baton. “Are you interested?” He nodded at Dean, who tapped his collarbone deep in thought.

“Let me get this… correct. We have a match tonight. If I beat you, I get your later spot at the Rumble if it is later. But if you beat me, you get my later spot. If it is.”

“That’s it. No strings. No stipulations. Just two of the best in the business.”

Dean tilted his head back. Considering. “What do you get out of this? What do you really have to gain?”

Hawkins chuckled and shook his baton at Dean’s face. “You’ve been hanging out with your cousin. Good question. Let’s just say I really liked the feel of the Universal Championship on my shoulder. What do you say?”

With a grin that said he was sure in his choice, he shook Hawkins’s hand. “Deal. See ya in the ring.”

Then he could hear cackling. They both turned and saw Nikki Cross with her knees hooked over a trellis, upside-down and swinging back and forth. She laughed and clapped her hands. “You gonna play? Nikki likes to play. Mhmm. Play. Play. Play. Play!”

Hawkins kept his eyes on her and leaned towards Dean. “She looks crazier than you ever got.” He flinched with an ‘ow’ as Dean smacked the back of his head.

“We’re not crazy. Just living and wrestling at a higher frequency than you.”

***

The match didn’t go like Hawkins had hoped. Even his distraction by tossing his baton into Dean’s face, and then his vest, didn’t give him enough of an upper hand. Apparently, his earlier comment about Dean being crazy had ignited something in Dean. Like he wanted to live up to the description. So he did while staying within the legal constraints of the match, despite eyeing Hawkins’s baton to use as his own. Then, he flipped. Crazy men don’t break down their opponents with submission moves, right? He dashed Curt Hawkins’s dreams with a Dirty Deeds.

***

“Why is Y/N already making matches for the Elimination Chamber? It’s bad management,” Corey said as Zack Ryder entered the arena.

Renee scrunched up her nose. “Why is it bad management? After the Rumble, there’s only three Mondays until the Elimination Chamber. I think it’s great planning. We’re on the road to WrestleMania and she’s properly thinking ahead. And it’s only the second spot in the Universal Championship chamber match. It’s not like all the spots have been filled.”

As Braun Strowman entered the arena, and then the ring, Corey was still grumbling. “How can anyone plan if they’re thinking about two pay-per-views at a time?”

Michael Cole tried to redirect the conversation to the match, but Renee had one more comment. “Well, that just shows how brilliant Y/N is. And how small-minded you are, Corey.”

“And they’re off,” Cole said, cutting through Corey’s rebuttal. “How do you think Zack Ryder is going to do against Braun tonight?”

He was doing well. Mostly his strategy seemed to be dodging any kind of hits at all. A game of keep-away with his own body on the line. In the meantime, Ryder kept Braun going in circles, quickly moving in for attacks once the larger man was dizzy. Then Braun caught him. And threw Ryder through the ropes before stepping through them himself. Each time Ryder tried to escape back into the ring, Braun would pull him back out. And when the 10-count would get close, Braun would roll in and back out to break it.

Ryder began his dodge and weave again. Where Braun tried to run him over, he soon found Ryder wasn’t there and ran his own shoulders into the ring posts. When Braun caught him again, he tried to throw Ryder into the stairs, only to have it reversed. Braun was getting agitated. He finally met Ryder back in the ring, where they nearly demolished one another. The referee went to check on Braun after he had missed Ryder again, crashing into the ring post.

That was when Dr. M struck. He rolled into the ring, then Vaccinated the oblivious Ryder and spun him to the canvas. By the time Braun was back on his feet, Dr. M wasn’t visible by anyone in the ring. He only emerged from the bell booth after Braun pinned Ryder.

***

Ryder rolled out of the ring and was helped up the ramp by the referee. Braun stayed where he was, standing still as a statue as Dr. M joined him in the ring.

“Do you see it?” Dr. M asked the audience. “Do you see how easy it is to weed out the afflicted? Pride, a deadly sin, is also a disease. It builds with each accomplishment, no matter how short it lasts. And then when it is conquered, it spreads to the conqueror. There are times when small doses of pride are required. They give strength and direction, like with the Authors of Pain. Their pride helped them into the championship light. Then I gave them the last dose they needed to win the Raw tag team titles.”

Braun’s stoic face flickered. His eyes darted to the back of Dr. M’s head as he wondered what credit he was going to get. He received none as his teammate continued.

“But they are not yet finished. When the time is right, they will save the division. Healing it, showing the teams who have the real power.” He laughed. “And I cannot wait for the cleansing bonfires.” In a flicker of lights, they were gone.

The lighthearted music of Chad Gable and Bobby Roode replaced them. Next came the long line of tag teams to circle the ring. Tyler Breeze was at the end of the line. The Revival stopped him. With a smile, he took a step back and waited. Dana Brooke’s music hit, and she entered the arena. She stopped at Breeze’s side, then they shouldered past the Revival to join the others at ringside. Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic of Heavy Machinery helped start a “Lucha” chant with the Lucha House Party. They were interrupted by the entrance of the Ascension.

They fought. When one team member was thrown out, they were roughed up a bit then thrown back in. Even Dana did her part. She received hearty pats on the back and welcoming handshakes. It was an even spread. For once, no side battles on the floor took away from what was happening in the ring. The whole tag roster reacted with cheers and jumping as Roode pinned Viktor.

Bodies of teammates started dropping outside of the ring. There was snap pandemonium, then Akam and Rezar slid into the ring, gunning for the victorious wrestlers. Drake tried to follow, but he was pulled back into the fray on the floor. In the ring, AOP made quick work of Gable and Roode, and of Viktor and Konnor. Except Konner didn’t go down as easily. He stumbled back to his feet just as Drake was finally able to escape into the ring. He turned right into an oncoming punch. Akam and Rezar shifted their attention to getting him out of harm’s way but were attacked by teams as they flooded the canvas.

Drake punched back at someone grabbing him by the back of his vest. It turned out to be Rezar, who dragged him through the ropes. Drake continued to shout at the teams straining against the ropes. He looked back, expecting to see his teammates glaring at them. He was alone. And AOP was halfway up the ramp. He rushed to catch up with them while Gable and Roode were congratulated in the ring.

***

You stared at the number on your screen for a long minute before answering it. “Yes, Mr. Heyman?” You listened as he talked, rolling your eyes as he began to drone on. “I’m going to stop you there. No. Your client made it very clear that he wanted no part of this company. He can stay gone.” With a hiss, you stopped. He had started talking again. “Go ahead and talk to Hunter and the McMahons. Go for it. See if it makes a difference.”

With that, you hung up on him. Then tossed your phone across the room. This wasn’t good. You bit at your lip, trying to come up with a solution. You tilted your head. “That’s an idea,” you said to yourself. “No. It would be too easy. Right? Hmm. Maybe not.” You nodded. It was half a plan anyway. It would require just a tiny change to another plan, but it was one that might just help everyone.


	38. Squirrels in a Row (Royal Rumble)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Royal Rumble is a hit and a new champion is crowned. When Monday night rolls around, the reader and Seth Rollins have a heart-to-heart that reveals some of the motivation for some of her recent choices.

Royal Rumble – January 27, 2018 – Phoenix, Arizona

“And we are rapidly approaching the first step on the road to WrestleMania!” Michael Cole introduced Renee and Corey before the last match on the pre-show. “Next up is the greatly anticipated match between the Nia Jax and Tamina against the Raw women tag team champions, the Riott Squad.” All three members of the announce table picked which team they thought would win. It weighed in favor of Nia and Tamina.

Sarah Logan and Tamina started off first, their rematch having been interrupted last Monday. Holding true to her promise, Sarah held the upper hand until Nia tagged in. Then she survived only a little bit before needing a respite and tagged in Liv. Ruby directed from ringside, watching her teammates’ backs and calling for tags when she noticed either getting tired. Her presence was giving them an edge, something their opponents did not appreciate. 

While Tamina was keeping the two occupied, Nia ran around to take care of Ruby. Liv disengaged and left the ring to help, leaving Sarah alone. Tamina was distracted as Liv attacked Nia, jumping on her back, and tried to go after her. Sarah used that to her advantage and won the pin.

The Riott Squad had retained.

***

To officially begin the Royal Rumble, the men’s Rumble match was first. The crowd counted down to each wrestler’s entrance. At the number six spot, Dean’s music hit then shifted to Curt Hawkins’s theme. Their match on Monday had ensured a better entry for Dean, but how much better remained to be seen until the fortieth spot. Again, there was a switch of music until Dean came out. About that time, Hawkins was finally eliminated. Dean gave him a salute on his way by before sliding into the ring. R-Truth entered last thanks to his win with Carmella in the Mixed Match Challenge.

Dean had his focus on a group of Smackdown wrestlers trying to toss him from the ring. Samoa Joe was leading the attack. Your cousin grinned as Elias approached, thinking he was there to help. Instead, Elias tipped Dean and two of the group over the ropes, eliminating them. And bringing the match down to the final five of him, Finn Balor, Mustafa Ali, Andrade, and Samoa Joe. Mustafa went for Joe and was assisted by the rest of the group to send him over. He tried to get back in the ring and retaliate, but the referees prevented him. Four to go. Finn rind the ring of Andrade after a show-off of power and ring acrobatics. Mustafa returned the favor, flipping onto Finn to weaken him, then accepting help from Elias to eliminate him.

It was down to Elias from Raw and Mustafa from Smackdown. Grappling against speed. And both capable of keeping their feet on the ropes instead of the canvas. Mustafa tried to flip onto Elias like he had with Finn, but Elias came up with a high knee. Exhaustion almost brought the match to a halt. They wobbled to their feet and gave each other an approving nod. Mustafa ran at full speed towards Elias hanging onto the ropes. The Drifter dropped, taking the top rope with him. Mustafa went over but landed on the apron. A hard shoulder finished the match.

Elias was going to WrestleMania. But for which championship?

***

Now the first of the Raw championships was up for grabs. Ember Moon stalked down to the ring, glaring at Rhonda Rousey already in the bottom corner. They started with a stare-down, muttering threats at each other. Threats only one of them was going to be able to live up to. Rhonda attacked first, taking the upper hand. Ember had to retreat until she was able to break free and make her own offense. From corner to corner, then around the ring, they fought tooth and nail. When the referee’s ten-counts got to close for comfort, Rhonda rolled into the ring and out, breaking them. A count-out or disqualification would give Ember the win. Which seemed to be the champion’s strategy.

Often, Ember would let Rhonda trap her in the ropes or in a corner, where the referee would threaten Rhonda with a disqualification if she didn’t back down. Each one made her more and more irate. Her last fuming around the ring ended as she breathed herself down, then turned just in time to catch a Total Eclipse. One, two, and three. Ember retained her championship fair and square. Give or take messing with Rhonda’s head.

***

The Raw men’s tag titles match was also a mental minefield. But not because either side had ahold of the controls. Both the Authors of Pain and the team of Chad Gable and Bobby Roode had power and great minds for strategy. Either side could win the titles and no one in the crowd would feel cheated of a good show. But this is WWE. Since when is anything easy?

Rezar slumped off his feet in a corner. The referee was busy on the other side trying to break apart Gable and Akam. Roode rushed at full speed towards Rezar. As he reached the corner, Braun Strowman jumped up onto the apron and roared. Startled, Roode fell back and Rezar caught his legs for a roll-up pin. By the time the referee turned, Braun was gone; he counted to three. The bell rang. As it’s echo came to an end, it was replaced with laughter. AOP and Maverick rushed to the ropes, shocked to see Dr. M with the bell mallet in hand.

“Congratulations,” he said with a bow. He took the tag titles to the ropes and handed them to the referee to hand to them. Then he left with Braun, slowly backing up the ramp until he was sure that they knew who had helped them win. And why.

***

Heading towards the end of the show, the triple threat for the Intercontinental Championship was up next. Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler eyed each other from various sides of the ring. They stepped left and right, both trying to make the first move and to keep away from the others. Dolph nodded towards Seth, looking at Drew. The Scotsman shook his head. Not tonight. Not ever. Seth made to grab at Dolph. Drew grabbed him before he made a step. Dolph laughed as they fought and left to recline in a corner. He was ready with a near-zig-zag the second Seth was able to rid the ring of Drew.

When Drew was able to stagger his way back up to the apron, Seth and Dolph shared a look. As one they gave him a kick to the jaw. He crumpled outside the ring, giving them space to continue one-on-one. Dolph won control of the ring for about ten seconds, which he spent gloating instead of watching his back. Seth gladly took a breather as the two former teammates tore each other apart. He quickly rejoined them as Drew went for a pin, breaking it with a double fist between Drew’s shoulder blades. Sometimes all three were involved in a show of strength, each trying to push one man from the locked group in the center of the ring. Dolph was thrown wide, his back arching around a ring post. Seth turned from the view to a Claymore kick that dropped him for the pin.

There was a new Intercontinental champion. Drew kneeled, looking at his title, then stood tall and held it high, smug and proud.

***

It was a given that Carmella was going to enter last. But the presence of Alexa Bliss was a welcome surprise. The second appearance of Rhonda a little less so, but she wanted another chance. And she was willing to fight for it. Unfortunately for the both of them, neither made it to the final five. Alexa did have the pride and privilege of eliminating Rhonda before then, but she was eliminated by Lacey Evans. Who in turn was eliminated by Mickie James with a smile. She was tipped out of the ring by Bayley.

The final five women in the ring stood in a circle. From Raw, Ruby, Natalya, and Bayley stared down Sonya Deville and Carmella from Smackdown. The flurry of activity whittled down the group to just two: Ruby and Sonya. They ran and bounced off the ropes, colliding in the middle and falling to hold their torsos. With the fight that continued, the commentators wondered how the wrestling universe would change if Sonya left Mandy and joined the Riott squad. Or if they both left their teams to form a new one. The thoughts were thrown out the window as each woman refocused on breaking the other one down enough to throw her over the ropes. Sonya was standing on the apron. Ruby went to elbow her in the face, but Sonya used that momentum to send her flying over and onto the floor.

The ladies’ WrestleMania moment belonged, well deserved, to Sonya.

***

***

Monday Night Raw – January 28, 2019

“With the Royal Rumble out of the way, now everyone has to focus on the Elimination Chamber. It’s one of the last chances to get into a WrestleMania match.” Cole side eyed Corey as he scoffed. “Something to add, Graves?”

“Yeah. The Royal Rumble could have gone better for several people if there weren’t elimination Chamber matches before it. General manager Y/N might have ruined people’s chances!”

Renee piped up, defending you. “I don’t agree with that at all, but look at it this way. They’ve still got the Elimination Chamber and Starrcade to make it onto the card. We’re on the road, but it’s not done yet. And starting the show is the first of those opportunities for the Raw women’s championship. Mickie James and Lacey Evans are going to start us off. It should be interesting considering Mickie eliminated Evans from the Rumble last night.”

It was. Mickie continued to avenge Alexa’s elimination and worked to finish the fight she’d started between them. Lacey took it all in stride. She sneered and knocked Mickie to the canvas, daintily walking over her with a yawn. Cole noted that it was experience versus class, though Renee didn’t agree with the description of class. Lacey’s mask of control began to slip as Mickie refused to stay down and take the pin. She grew frustrated. And Mickie took advantage. She rolled up her opponent, bracing her feet on the ropes out of the referee’s view, winning the match and her spot in the Elimination Chamber.

Lacey Evans left the arena fuming. She showed up on Smackdown on Tuesday and did not come back to Raw.

***

Finn Balor searched backstage, bouncing off Elias’s shoulder at one point until he found Drew waiting to enter the arena. “There ya are. Was beginnin’ ta think that Seth was too much for ya,” he joked.

“What do ya wan’, Finn?” Drew didn’t look at him, instead focusing on a smudge on his white and gold title.

“I’m here to receive my end of the deal. Ya do remember our deal, right?” Finn crossed his arms and grinned.

Drew grinned back. “I do. An’ I remember that it was for the Universal, not the Intercontinental. And that you would only get a chance for keeping Dolph off my back. Which you didn’t. I handled ‘im myself. So, really, why are you here? I mean, the challenge is open, but you’ll probably have to beat someone else to it.” In the background, Drew’s music started. He smirked at Finn, then turned his back to enter the arena.

In the ring, Drew took his time parading around and raising his new title at each of the corners. Mostly he was met with boos, which he ignored. “Finally!” He smirked and raised the title in the middle of the ring before dropping it to his shoulder. “It’s about time this title was worn by someone deservin’ of it. Someone whose attention isn’t divided. Someone who will wear it pro’dly like the gold it is and not as ‘nother win for the lists. The WWE has a true Intercontinental champion now. And I am going to erase the reign of Seth Rollins with my own long stay as champ.”

He growled as Seth’s music struck. “That might be a little difficult, Drew. I mean, I was a pretty good champ. I defended it for over _eighty_ days. And you’re barely going to hold it for twenty-four hours.”

“And what makes ya think t’at, Rollins? Automatic rematches are a thing of the past.”

Seth shrugged. “I know. But really, I’m just trying to help you out. You see, our match wasn’t one-on-one. Which didn’t bother either of us, but I have a feeling that a certain former teammate of yours will make a claim. Are you going to let Dolph hold it over your head that you couldn’t beat me by yourself? Have to admit, that doesn’t sound like you.”

The side of Drew’s mouth twitched with a sneer. He looked past Seth, waiting for Dolph’s music to hit on cue. Or Finn’s, considering the earlier conversation. When it didn’t, he nodded. “Alr’ight Rollins, I hear yer point. Let’s get a ref out to here settle it. But… when I beat you. That’s it. I don’t want to see you followin’ me like some sad puppy trying to get a second chance.”

With a grin, Seth walked down the ramp. “Fair enough.”

They started like always, staring each other down from the other side of the ring. Drew ran for the attack, but Seth scaled the turnbuckles and was ready with a jump that turned into a Northern Lights Suplex. That set the pace for the rest of the match. With the way it went, people were going to talk about it for months.

It came to a screeching halt when Dolph in a black hoodie dropped the camera chords he’d been holding and slid into the ring. He toppled Seth, hitting him about the face and head. Drew tugged him off and threw him into a corner. “Winner by disqualification, Seth Rollins!” Jojo announced. “But still your Intercontinental champion, Drew McIntyre.” Drew glared at Dolph, who only smiled back.

Seth was making it to his feet when you rushed out to the stage. He saw you coming and motioned for a mic. “Don’t, Y/N. There’s not use restarting this.” He nodded respectfully at Drew. “It’s the way things happen around here. No matter what you try to do. And besides, we agreed. I only had one chance.” He stretched out his arm, nodding again as Drew accepted his handshake. Seth left the ring, Dolph scurried out, and Drew was left to hold his defended title high.

***

She was sitting on a crate. To a quick glance, Bayley looked like she was just waiting for the show. But her shoulders were slumped deeper and her head hung a little lower looking over her phone. You gently sat beside her and leaned your back against the wall. With a soft smile, you turned your head to look at her. She sighed. “How’d you know?”

“You’re one of my wrestlers. I do try to pay attention to how you guys are feeling.” You fiddled with the hem of your blouse. “Are you okay to talk it over with me?”

Bayley looked both ways through the hallway. “You aren’t busy?”

“Nope. I’ve got all the time you need, sweetie. Is here okay to talk, or would you like to do it in my office?”

“No,” she rushed. “Your office is too… official. Here’s fine.”

You turned slightly to give her your full attention. “Alrighty. What’s up?”

There was a moment of silence while she gathered her thoughts. “I don’t know what to do. Sasha and I are just this side of hating each other’s guts. But we both hate seeing the Riott Squad with the tag titles. On the other hand, I don’t… we’re not-“

“You feel that because you guys aren’t friends, you don’t feel like you should hold the tag titles either.”

She sighed. “Yeah. I don’t trust her. Probably never will again. What kind of a team is that?”

Drumming your knees, you let the conversation lapse. “Would you rather be involved in the single’s title matches? You’d probably have to face Sasha in matches again, but you can go after your own goals then. I’m sure Ember would be glad to face you.”

Bayley chuckled. “I actually don’t mind Ember as champion. She’s doing a great job. And I really don’t want to have to fight Sasha again.” She couldn’t find much more to say. “I guess that leaves us at an impasse.”

“Not necessarily.” You tapped your collarbone, finalizing your thoughts. “The Riott Squad beat Nia and Tamina last night. The Riott Squad will be looking for their next challenge. What better way to grab their focus than to beat who they beat? For all your disagreements, you and Sasha work well together. And you’re a threat. Ask any team or woman here. Fight them tonight. If you win, you and Sasha are the number one contenders for the tag titles. I assume your teammate will be okay with that. Lose, we can talk about your next step. Sound okay?”

Nodding, Bayley’s cheeks twitched with a small smile. “That sounds nice.” She bumped her shoulder into yours. “Thanks for listening.”

“No problem. You can come talk to me anytime. Or text me that we need to have another travel crate session. Whichever you need,” you jokingly added. She thanked you again as you left. You were only a few feet down the hall when Seth got caught up to you. “Hey. I really am sorry about your match.”

He waved away your words. “It was going to happen either way. Having said that…” He pulled you to one side of the hallway. “Miss manager of Monday Night Raw, you better get your ducks in a row or the consequences will keep coming.”

“I don’t have ducks; I don’t have a row. I have squirrels. They are everywhere, and their names are Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and apparently Dolph Ziggler. And depending on the week, there’s another monstrous one named Braun Strowman.” You grinned tight at him. “If you want my job dealing with his moods for a week, be my guest. I’ll split my paycheck with you.”

It was getting harder and harder to keep yourself from bubbling over. And Seth knew it. He was standing his ground, but at a split second’s notice, he could be out of the way. So, you licked your lips and kept talking, trying to use up your oxygen.

“Though you guys do come in handy sometimes. People come to see you, they fill the seats. Management is happy. They pay me so I can pay off college. I get to have fun putting you guys in crazier match after crazier match. And for the most part, the show runs smoothly. And the cycle continues as long as I keep them,” you motioned toward the arena and crowd, “entertained.”

“So, you do all of this… because it’s best for business.”

You froze and swallowed hard, looking at the ground knowing what he was referencing. “Yes, I suppose so.”

Seth let out a deep breath. “If you mean it… you have to say it.”

Looking up, you set your shoulders broadly. “Fine. Yes. I do all of this: the ego-deflating, the stressful match setting, the rules and the stipulations, the wrestler wrangling, all of it,” you swallowed and tried to make your voice as strong as it could be, “because it’s best… for business.”

He nodded. “That’s all I needed to hear.” Seth walked around you and left you alone. You refused to look over your shoulder, missing the look of knowing pity he gave you.

***

After a commercial break, Renee announced that a tournament for the Intercontinental championship’s chamber matches had been set up. First up was Apollo Crews and Jinder Mahal, who begrudgingly agreed to send the Singh brothers to the back during the match. For the majority of the match, it looked like Jinder was going to the elimination chamber. He had Apollo wobbling on his feet and barely rolling back into the ring before the end of a ten-count. But Apollo was faking it. He caught Jinder in a flurry of hits, dropping him. It was a struggle to hold him down, but Apollo managed it, winning his spot.

***

The next match was just for the opportunity to get into the elimination tournament, this time for the Universal Championship. Dean and Baron Corbin met in a flurry of hits that didn’t let up until Dean lost ground. He caught himself on the ropes, springing forward to hit Baron. They continued trading blows and throwing each other from the ring. Baron tried the most for pins. And each time Dean was able to kick out. Dean didn’t try for one until after a Dirty Deeds, a method that was successful. Renee cheered that Dean would have another match for an elimination spot soon.

***

“Ready for round two, Baron?” Dean blocked Baron from continuing down the hallway. “Where are you headed so angrily?”

Baron growled, “to see your cousin and to give her a piece of my mind. You should come with me. Our match was filler, and you know it. She’s hiding something. She’s been hiding something for weeks. And if she doesn’t come clean soon, she’s going to have to start watching her back.”

Dean placed his hand on Baron’s chest to keep him from walking around. “Watch what you say about Y/N. It was a fair opportunity. She wouldn’t have put me in the match if it wasn’t.”

“You sure about that? Seems like Elias gets more chances than you and look where he’s going. Oh. To WrestleMania. All he had to do was stay in your way. Or didn’t you notice?” Baron shouldered past him, but only made it about a step before Dean snagged his shoulder.

“Baron, stay away from Y/N. She’s doing a lot better job at managing than you ever did. Stop being such a jerk about it and move on or you’re the one who’s going to have to watch their back.” He nodded for Baron to go back the way he came. He didn’t let go of Baron’s shoulder until he was sure that’s where the lone wolf was headed. Once he was gone, Dean sat down on a crate and began to think about the last several weeks.

***

The crowd chanted along to EC3’s theme, ‘top one percent!” He made his way to the ring, snagging a mic off the stairs on his way in. “Well hello, Phoenix.” He grinned. “I think it’s about time I introduced myself. As you all just heard, I am the top one percent of this business. The strongest. The fastest. The most willing to do anything to win. The best. Now, when they asked me to join Monday Night Raw, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to join. Then I took a closer look at the line-up. There’s the heavy hitters: Rollins, Balor, Ambrose… Ambrose-es, the like. Heavier hitters like Strowman. Then there are several middle-grade wrestlers. Too many.” He titled his head. “That made my decision for me. Raw is desperate for a talent like me. And congratulations, now it’s got one.” He looked towards the stage, confused, as Bobby Lashley’s music hit.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Lio Rush said, popping out from behind Lashley. “You seem to have forgotten one very important person on your ‘heavier hitters’ list.”

EC3 shrugged. “I really don’t think so. You’re not even on my,” he leveled his hand closer to the ground, “easy prey list.”

“Har-har,” Lio sniped. “You don’t have to worry about me anyways. I’m on 205 Live… if any of you were looking for ya boy.” He shook his finger. “No, no, no. You forgot the one and only Bobby Lashley. You may be the top one percent, but he is the top of that. And if you don’t believe us, he’ll prove it when he pins you tonight for that spot in the Universal champion elimination spot.”

Unimpressed, EC3 backed up against the ropes. “Then what is he waiting for? Except for you to shut up. Get him down here so I can prove him wrong.”

Considering it was his first full match on the main roster, in hindsight EC3 may have wanted an easier opponent. He’d faced big guys before on NXT, but Lashley also had the skill built up from years of wrestling in multiple rings, squared and octagonal. Still, he rose to the occasion. Thanks to a botched distraction from Lio, he caught Lashley in a lucky hit that dropped him and won the pin. He left the ring quickly, headbanging to his theme along with the audience.

***

Next was another round for the women’s elimination chamber: Nikki Cross versus Dana Brooke, who was accompanied by Tyler Breeze. They both flinched as Nikki entered the ring in her usual high-velocity way. Breeze quickly dropped to the floor, giving Dana a thumbs-up as the bell rang. Dana’s superior strength could do little against Nikki’s speed and resilience. Though she did get in several hits that showed off her gymnastic skills. But in the end, it was Nikki Cross who was going to the Elimination Chamber. Breeze reassured Dana, reminding her that they had a chance to go in the tag teams.

***

Speaking of the tag teams, the defending champions, the Authors of Pain, made their way to the ring with Drake Maverick to celebrate their win on Sunday. They were barely in the ring when Dr. M appeared at the bottom of the ramp.

“No!” Drake said, rushing to the ropes. “What are you doing out here? Where’s Braun?” he added twisting around to check the other end of the ring.

Dr. M smiled. “He is in another wing of the arena… preparing the next dose of the plan. Why I am here, is to ask the powerhouses of the tag division if they have learned what they needed? And, if they are ready to begin the healing process.” He lowered his mic and waited patiently.

In the ring, Drake’s brow creased. He shook his head, trying to figure out what the man meant. Then he was lifted into the air by Akam and Rezar. He bounced across the floor, where Dr. M stepped over him. He watched, jaw dropped, as Dr. M kneeled in the center with AOP flanking him at his shoulders. “It has begun!” he shouted.

The Titantron came alive, showing what was going on backstage. Finn sailed through the air into a pile of boxes. Braun roared and picked him up, throwing him again, this time into a group of poles that clanged as they hit the ground.

In the background, Elias tweaked his guitar strings, struggling to hear them over the ruckus.

A few referees were able to make Braun step away so they could check on Finn.

Back in the arena, Renee shrugged. “I think he’ll be fine. Finn already has a spot in the elimination match for the Universal. He beat McIntyre, Mahal, and Mojo Rawley for it a couple weeks ago.”

Adding his two cents and then some, Corey talked over what else she had to say. “I bet he’s still thinking about holding both titles. Balor might be a bit jealous of how Rollins was able to do that for so long. I think he needs to focus on one title at a time though. But none of that explains why Braun attacked him.”

“Sure it does. Braun took the second spot before the Rumble. Honestly, Corey, your memory is very selective.” She giggled. “Too many Mean Girls quotes,” Renee quipped.

“Hey!”

***

The women involved in the tag match entered, ready to prove themselves. Tamina and Nia laughed to see Bayley and Sasha actively avoiding one another as they came down the ramp. They stopped laughing after the bell rang. As you’d noticed, despite their differences the women made a great team. They knew each other’s in and outs, their strengths, and their tells for when exhaustion was creeping in. As such, Sasha was able to keep Tamina occupied outside the ring, and Bayley was able to pin Nia. Sasha slid into the ring to celebrate like it was old times but just for a second. Bayley pulled her in for another longer hug as the defeated stared daggers into the women’s happiness.

***

Ember Moon entered the ring next, her defended title bright on her shoulder. “Well, that’s another match over. It doesn’t matter how many more there are in the future, my next step is winning the Elimination Chamber, which I will be competing in. As champion, it is my right and my privilege to be in that match, being the champion that you all deserve. Here and active.” She groaned as Ruby entered the arena.

“Are you sure you can be that champion?” Ruby mewled. “We all saw your match last night. It was close. Too close. Had Rhonda been the wrestler management thinks she is, we’d have a different woman in the ring right now.” She sauntered down the ramp. “No matter. It doesn’t matter which one of you won. What matters, is that I’m going to beat you tonight.”

With a chuckle, Ember asked, “Oh, really? And just how are you going to do that?”

Ruby entered the ring and stepped to Ember, making her take a step back. “I just talked with Y/N. We’ve got a match right here, right now, for your spot in the Elimination Chamber. That is… unless you’re too scared to compete. Or too tired.”

Ember swallowed. “Fine. Where’s the ref?”

The bell had barely rung when Ruby knocked ember over. She was quick to keep her off her feet, targeting the places Rhonda injured her on Sunday. It worked quickly. Ruby crowed triumphantly as the referee raised her arm in victory. She rolled out of the ring and was almost at the stage when you came out.

“I have to say well done, Ruby.” You gave her a clipped grin. “But there is one little thing I forgot to mention… possibly because I didn’t think I’d have a reason to… but because you have taken the champion’s spot, you will be starting the match at Elimination Chamber. I hope that isn’t a problem”

You gulped as she got in your face and took your mic. “I welcome it. And really, why would that be a big deal?” She twisted her head to look at Ember still in the ring. “A competent champion would be able to do it. A competent champion would be in that spot anyway. I’m just speeding up my duties as Champion.” She held the mic back out to you, then dropped it before you could take it. Cackling, she left the arena.

***

Charly Caruso rushed to catch up with Elias as he headed toward the garage. “Wait. Elias. Just a moment.” She caught her breath as he finally turned and waited for her question. “We’ve barely seen you just after you won the Royal Rumble. Which title do you have in mind to go after at WrestleMania?” She lifted the mic closer to him and waited.

Elias looked over her head where Drew McIntyre was leaving too. Drew glared, but gave him a nod, acknowledging the potential match and rolling his shoulder under the Intercontinental. The rolling of suitcases sounded behind Elias, and all three of them looked back to see Seth gathering the last of his things, placing the Universal title on top.

“Well?” Charly tried.

He looked forward, thinking. Then he shrugged and continued on his original path.


	39. Misplaced Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter and Stephanie show up to watch the Reader’s every move. They are witnesses to some of the hardest choices she’s had to make in weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything is coming together perfectly. Longer chapter, but it reads quick. I’ve gotten most of the fights down to tiny paragraphs, yay! Please let me know your thoughts on this series with reblogs and comments. I appreciate every single one. Enjoy!

For once, it looked like the show was going to run smoothly. You were in the garage clearing up some last-minute details when a long, black limo pulled up. It pulled to a stop in front of you and the driver rushed around to open the door. You swallowed dryly. Triple H got out first. He held out his hand, and Stephanie took the assistance. Plastering on a smile, you welcomed them.

“Hunter. Stephanie. What a surprise. It’s good to see you-“

Hunter grinned back. “Thank you. We tried to call ahead, but your line was busy.”

You shivered. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to miss you. All the general manager stuff, you know how it is. I’ve got quite the show for everyone tonight. Are you going to be watching from your box?”

Sharing a look, Stephanie stepped forward and wrapped her arm around your shoulders. “Actually, no. We’ve been impressed with how things are going, and we wanted to watch from backstage. See how you’ve had such good control over everything. Be your shadows for tonight. We hope that’s not a problem.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a test. “No. Not at all. Right this way. The first match will be starting in just a minute.” You led them out of the garage. They followed at your shoulders like crows’ wings.

***

The placements of the NXT move-ups were still finalizing, but Heavy Machinery wanted to prove that they belonged on Raw. They had challenged the well-established team of Heath Slater and Rhyno.

“If they win this match,” Cole mused, “do you think they’ll challenge AOP?”

Renee thought for a second, then said, “it’s a possibility. Depending on how tonight goes, I think they’ll do great. I’m more worried what will happen to them if they lose this match.”

“Don’t jinx them, Renee,” Corey sputtered. They digressed into a disagreement as the bell rang.

Hunter beamed as he watched from a backstage tv. Occasionally you glanced up from your clipboard to catch Slater dropping Knight. Or Dozovic triumphantly grinning as Rhyno bounced off of him.

The referee had a surprisingly difficult time keeping up with both teams. The tags were frequent but displaced enough to show off each wrestler and their skills. Rhyno engaged Knight on the floor, keeping him from entering the ring to help his partner. His back was turned as the upper hand switched to Dozovic, who did the worm before dropping on Slater. Knight escaped and doubled teamed just long enough to help his partner set up a pin, then kept Rhyno from saving him. Heavy Machinery won the match, already cheering with the fans like Raw was home.

***

Later in the show, there were going to be three matches for the women’s elimination chamber match. Bayley and Natalya were backstage talking about their matches when Alexa walked up. “Well look at you two being all buddy-buddy.”

“Keep walking Alexa,” Natalya shot. Bayley wrapped her arm across her shoulders, holding her from stepping to Alexa.

Miss Bliss gasped and fluttered hand to her chest. “I was just making an observation.”

Bayley stepped between them. “I doubt that. But I’m willing to give you the benefit of a doubt. Any other observations before you… go away?” Bayley stared at her pointedly. Patiently.

Just into Alexa’s plans. She smiled sweetly. “Well, I’m more confused than anything. Sasha and Bayley being in the chamber match sorta makes sense. But, Natty, if you and Rhonda are such good friends, why are you fighting each other tonight? Only one of you can have the spot.” When all Natalya did was growl, she turned her attention back to Bayley and hopped to sit on a crate. “Come on, help a girl out. You know better than anyone how delicate friendship is. It’s the reason you’re holding on so tight to Sasha, right?”

In a split second of pause, Natalya was the one ready to hold back her friend. “Sure, like you’ve never turned on anyone, Alexa. Turn before you get dropped, right? Fine. As the one on the other side of that exchange, yes, Sasha hurt me. But I am still my own woman. My own power. Hell in a Cell proved that. Still, we’ve got something working here. It’s not perfect, but it’s what I’ve got. So, yeah. I’m going to stick to Sasha. Partially to watch my back, and partially to watch hers. Because that’s what friends do. You have to do what you have to do. You can’t wait for your opportunities, you have to make them.”

Natalya guided Bayley away as her voice weakened towards the end. But Alexa kept going, pushing for all she could.

“Speaking of opportunities, Bayley,” Alexa shifted in her seat, “can you explain why both you and Sasha are going after the women’s championship? I mean, aren’t you guys already number one contenders for the tag titles? Sounds like you’re spread yourselves a little thin. Especially for such a delicate friendship.”

Bayley smirked. “Well, as far as either of us can tell, there hasn’t been a woman holding double titles. Sasha and I would like to try for it. The Riott Squad can wait.”

Alexa tilted her head. “Do you think that’s a good idea? Making them wait so you two can go after different titles? I don’t know, Bayley. Sounds greedy and poorly planned if you ask me.”

“Well then it’s a good thing we didn’t ask you, isn’t it?”

Natalya stepping into Alexa’s face inspired the small blonde to retreat from her seat. “And when did this turn into a Moment of Bliss?”

Alexa put up her hands in defense. “I was just curious. Geeze.” She walked away, leaving the other women to process what Bayley had said.

***

Braun already had his spot in the Universal elimination chamber, but he wanted a match anyway. So you gave him one with Bobby Lashley. He was running on a high. Lio Rush was flipped several times outside of the ring, no matter how fast he ran. As for in the ring, Lashley was putting the monster among men through his paces. He had a goal to gain himself.

“We’ve just been told that if Bobby Lashley wins this match, then Y/N will give him another chance to get into a chamber match. Well, how about that?” Cole said.

“Sounds nice of her.” Renee mused. “Except for the part where giving him another opportunity takes it away from someone else.” Corey cut off her next words by telling her to hush and to watch the almighty Lashley perform.

Either way, the second chance was not to be. Braun had enough. He caught a second wind, using it to break Lashley down. And with Lio already out of the picture, there was no one to cause a shift with a distraction. As Braun’s arm was lifted in victory, Dr. M’s laugh sounded over the speakers. He did not appear. But his presence and approval were clear.

***

Behind you, Stephanie and Hunter had nodded their heads in approval of the match, though Hunter did question the double chance even with someone as talented as Lashley. “Agreed, both powerhouses here on Raw. But why such favoritism, Y/N? I thought you were better than that?”

You sputtered. “It’s not supposed to be. Braun is a great wrestler, but he needs something to do every week or things can get a little… destructive. And I knew I could convince Lashley to fight if I promised another chance for the chamber, either of them. Maybe the promise was a little underhanded, but both wrestlers got what they wanted. Braun his match. Lashley his chance, which motivated him during the fight. And the crowd got what they wanted.”

“All around a successful addition to the show,” Stephanie finished. “A great job, Y/N.”

“Thanks.” The word stuck like glue in your throat. You let out a sigh of strangled relief as Seth and Dean walked into the space. “Hey, Seth. Dean. What can I help you guys with? Can’t promise much, but I’ll see what I can do.”

Seth shifted the Universal title on his shoulder. “What do you mean you can’t offer much? You’re the general manager.”

Stephanie spoke up before you could. “And as such, she deserves respect-“

You flinched. “Don’t fire me for saying so, but didn’t you guys say you were going to be my shadows? I didn’t think shadows gave their opinions.” Inside your chest, your heart froze in place. Stephanie’s expression froze too, then slithered into a smile that she shared with her husband.

Hunter’s cheek twitched a smirk. “We did say that. Our apologies. Please continue.”

With a nod and a shuddering breath, you did. “Yeah, I’m GM, but the show is pretty set. There’s not room for another match. So if that’s what you’re here to ask about-“ Their disappointment was immediate. “Um, but there’s some chamber tournament matches soon. Seth, why don’t you join commentary. Get a front row seat for your possible future opponent?”

“Opponent? You mean opponents? I’m the champion. I’m in the elimination chamber match, right?”

The fire in his eyes frightened you, especially with your shadows watching. “Rollins, can we discuss details later? I don’t have room for a match for you tonight. Commentary or nothing?” you shrugged. He looked past you to Hunter and Stephanie, then gave you a nod. You focused on Dean. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I’ve got for you this week, Dean. But maybe next week? I’m still working on it.”

Dean did the same thing as Seth, glancing over your shoulder. With a grumble, he said, “fine.”

“I’m doing the best I can, Dean.”

“I know.” He rotated his shoulders and looked at Seth. “You heading to commentary?” When he nodded, Dean tapped his forearm. “I’ll walk with you.”

You watched them leave as Hunter complimented you on how you handled it. “You did good. It was a simple no, and they took it well. Who’s been helping you stand up for yourself?”

Over your shoulder your tossed, “Sheamus and Cesaro. They’ve been training me how to deal with guys bigger than myself.” With a huff, you finished, “though I never thought I’d have to use it with either of them.”

They talked amongst themselves like nothing had happened. “I need some coffee. Catering?” Stephanie asked. Hunter agreed. “You need anything, Y/N?”

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you turned to face them. “No, I’m good. Thank you.” Hunter gave you a heavy pat on your shoulder on their way out. This whole thing was starting to make you nervous.

***

The Riott Squad fought a local team, easily squashing them. Charly caught up with Sasha and Rhonda at a backstage tv for an interview. “The Riott Squad is proving themselves to be very dominant. How do both of you think your chances of becoming tag champions are going to go tonight? Especially you, Rhonda, since you’re fighting Natalya tonight?”

Sasha snickered as Rhonda stumbled looking for something to say. “We’re going to be fine. We’ve fought in the past for the Raw women’s title before. Beaten each other for it. Working together is just obvious. We’re two of the best in the business. Why have dozens of matches against one another when we could work together. I mean, Sasha and Bayley are doing the same thing.”

The other woman shrugged. “You could see it like that, I guess.”

“Guess?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m teaming with Bayley because it means she’s not fighting me for a title. I get to compete for a title, she gets one too as part of the set, and we stay out of each other’s hair.”

Charly grimaced. “So, teaming with Bayley… is a means to an end.”

Again, Sasha shrugged. “You said it, not me. But if I win the elimination chamber, maybe I can go my own way again.” Rhonda looked at her with a grimace, not liking that stance at all.

In the background, Alexa walked by having heard everything. She looked between the women, unnoticed, and then carried on her way.

***

Also backstage, Dolph flipped his vest over his shoulder and rounded a corner. He bumped off a tall torso, smiling when he saw it was Drew McIntyre. The Scotsman growled, “I told you to stay out of my way.”

Dolph shouldered past him. “I don’t know why you’re so irritated. You’re still champion, aren’t you? For now. Don’t get your kilt in a twist.”

Drew roughly grabbed his upper arm. “If you think I’m going to let you hold your actions last week over my head for more than this moment, you’ve got another thing coming.” He glared at him until Dolph raised his hands in surrender. Adding a bit of a shove, he released him. “Where are you going so happily?”

“To challenge an old friend for a spot in a well-deserved opportunity. For your title, come to think of it. See you in the Elimination Chamber.” He chuckled and left for Gorilla as his music started.

A few minutes later, Tyler Breeze entered the arena with Dana Brook at his side. She stayed ringside for the match, giving Breeze notes and helping him watch his back. This addition to the match was not in Dolph’s plan. Her attention for detail was making the match more difficult for him. And his attention to her was making it easier for Breeze to land punches and kicks. Dolph shook his head, refocusing. He flipped the match around, sending Breeze into defense-mode. A zig-zag finished the match.

All according to plan.

***

Two weeks ago, Zack Ryder had failed to place in the Universal elimination chamber. This week he was fighting his former partner, Mojo Rawley, for a place in the Intercontinental elimination chamber. For all of Mojo’s effort, Ryder made good use of his second chance. He won this match. Wrist in the referee’s hand, he missed the way Mojo stared daggers into his back from his huddle in a corner.

***

A pair of Universal placements happened next. Chad Gable and Bobby Roode, while tag partners, both wanted to try to win a spot. Seth sat on commentary. He was talkative, but he dodged any mention of the earlier argument with you. Gable faced Jinder Mahal, accompanied by the Singh brothers. Although he had Roode in his corner, cheering him on, Jinder won the match and the spot. Seth wasn’t bothered. He’d fought and beaten Jinder before. No matter what was going to happen in a few Sundays, Seth said he could handle him.

Gable rolled out of the ring and gave his teammate an ego boosting pat on the back as No Way Jose entered. The second match was more friendly than the first. And as such, when Roode turned on the heat, Jose wasn’t ready. Roode gave his defeated opponent a handshake, then accepted the bear hug from Gable as Jojo announced his spot in the elimination chamber. Seth welcomed this possible opponent too. He hadn’t faced Roode in a while.

“This could be interesting,” he said.

***

Baron stormed into your office, ignoring your groan as your moment of isolation was broken. “I know what you promised Elias,” he said, low and threatening. “Has he picked his WrestleMania match yet, or do you have to tell him which one he can pick?”

It took a moment to breathe down your bristling. “Mr. Corbin, Elias had the same chance as anyone. Including yourself.”

“No, he didn’t. You gave him a better spot because he beat me before the Rumble.”

“And why are you just now getting angry about that match? It was two weeks ago.” You licked your lips, stalling. “I have a feeling that’s not why you’re here.” You crossed your arms and waited for his answer. 

He snickered. “I want a spot in the Intercontinental elimination match. And if you don’t give me at least a match to ‘earn my way in’, well, Stephanie and Hunter are here. I’m sure they’d love to hear how you’ve been abusing power around here.”

Honestly, that didn’t really scare you. Part of you knew they’d probably chew him out more than you’d be in trouble. Still. You sighed and rolled your shoulders back. “Mr. Corbin, tonight I was approached by a local wrestler looking for an opportunity. He just got one. Congratulations, you’ve got a chance.” Baron smirked and started to leave. “Oh, and by the way, if he beats you tonight, he takes your place on the roster and in the Intercontinental elimination chamber… and you’re out of a job.”

He spun around to face you. “You can’t do that.”

You smiled sweetly at him, a face you had picked up from Alexa. “Yes, I can. The McMahons trust me as general manager more than they ever did with you, and as such, I have been given special liberties. Unless you would like to be fired now for attempted blackmail?” Baron balanced on the balls of his feet, seconds away from attacking. Rolling his eyes, he stepped back. “Fantastic. Head to the ring. I’ll send for your opponent.”

With a growl, he left your office. As soon as he was gone, you let out a shuddering breath. You sent a text to Gorrilla, letting them know who needed to be where. When you looked up, Dean was standing there. “Dean! Please don’t scare me like that.”

“How is it Baron gets a match tonight, but I don’t? Or Seth?”

“Dean-“

“What are you doing, Y/N? This isn’t like you.” Before you could answer, he spun on his heel and left. You struggled to regain some composure, despite the pain in your stomach.

***

The match was about to start when Dean’s music hit. He waved at the ring, sniggering as the local wrestler waved back, then walked over to join the commentary table. “Hey, Renee. Cole. Corey.” Like Seth, he avoided any discussion about your earlier conversations. But he was more than happy to make snarky comments about Baron’s style and lack of control. “It’s like he’s lost his marbles out there.”

To his defense, everyone watching the match agreed with him. Baron was unfocused. The local wrestler was gleefully using this to his advantage. It was a close match. The pin falls reached critical mass with Baron struggling to kick out before anything earlier than two-and-a-half. Thinking he was joining the roster, the wrestler tossed Baron out of the ring and began to celebrate.

“That’s not going to be good,” Dean noted.

Baron swung back in and caught him in a Deep Six. He made sure the other man wouldn’t be able to kick out by picking him up and dropping him in an End of Days. Growling in a mixture of irritation and relief, he got to his feet and let his hand be raised.

Grinning, he waved at Dean. He was going to Elimination Chamber. And so far, Dean was not.

***

The last three matches of the night were for three spots in the elimination chamber for the Raw women’s championship. Well, to become the number one contender for the title, since Ember wasn’t going to be in the match. Bayley entered the ring, pumped and ready. She groaned as Nia Jax’s music played next. The Irresistible Force entered the arena with Tamina at her side. Bayley gave a small sigh of relief as Nia sent her backstage. Their match was going to be between just them.

Or, it should have been.

Bayley was winning the upper hand. She had been able to keep Nia on her knees or at least unstable on her feet. Then Liv Morgan swung into the ring when the referee was checking on Nia and attacked the hugger. By the time he turned around, Liv was again out of sight and Nia was more than happy to take the win. She left the arena triumphantly, laughing as Liv rolled back in a went in to attack Bayley again.

Liv was forced to retreat as Sasha rushed out. Apparently, the only woman who was allowed to beat up Bayley was her, and heaven help any woman who tried otherwise. Sasha made sure Bayley made it safely out of the arena and waited for her opponent.

Several minutes later, Alicia Fox won a similar victory against Sasha. She had to fight harder before Sarah Logan got involved because Sasha was determined to not waste her opportunity. But there was no one to save her like she’d saved Bayley. So just after Alicia’s hand was raised, Sarah and Liv swarmed the ring and launched an attack. They didn’t leave until Sasha was unable to fight back. Then they left cackling, promising that they would give her another dose of damage in their next tag match.

***

Natalya entered the arena. She was all smiles, but it was strained. It quickly turned into a frown as Alexa’s music struck. Miss Bliss was followed by a techie crew who quickly set up for a Moment of Bliss.

“I hope you don’t mind Natty, but I’ve got some questions. For you too, Rhonda!” she called over her shoulder. “And hey, you should be thanking me for postponing your match a bit.” As Rhonda walked out and took a seat she added, “I can’t imagine either of you are eager to fight one another.” When neither woman answered, she continued. “This is a talk-show, ladies. It means you have to talk. What happens if one of you wins the Raw women’s championship after the Elimination Chamber? What happens to the-” she gestured between them, “the friendship?”

“Nothing.” Rhonda squirmed in her seat. “I’ve been here for almost a year. Natalya is my closest friend here.” She faced Natalya. “Why can’t we try one of those things where we help one of us get the title, then we’re the first challenge? Between the two of us, we could either rack of title reigns or help one another ensure long, successful ones.”

Not it was Natalya’s turn to squirm in her seat. “Rhonda, I’ve been in this business my whole life. I’ve seen-“ She sighed. “You know those don’t actually work, right? Someone always wants to be the best. They can’t be that if they’re always in their friend’s shadow.”

Alexa’s eyes glowed in triumph, even as she kept her mouth shut. Well, mostly. “That’s very interesting stances from both of you. I think it’s time we saw that match then. May the best woman win.”

As Alexa’s music played for her exit, the competitors walked down the ring together. There was hesitation from both of them at the start. Rhonda continued to hesitate. What Natalya had said was nothing she’d expected. Natalya sprung forward, beginning her attack. They could work this out later. Right now, she had to make her own opportunity. “Take what you can get,” she muttered. Rhonda heard and faltered in her steps. She caught a kick to the face that put her in the perfect position for a Sharpshooter. Natalya released her as soon as the referee told her Rhonda had tapped.

After all the mixtures of emotions, the women’s elimination chamber was set. Ruby Riott, Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans, Nia Jax, Alicia Fox, and now Natalya would have their chance for gold.

***

Hunter shook your head after he helped Stephanie back into the limo. “Well done, Y/N. I have no doubts now that this is going to work out perfectly.”

You flexed your hand like it burned as the limo pulled away.


	40. Sorta Forgiven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean confronts the Reader about being denied opportunities and hears her reasons. Matches are focused on who will enter their prospective chamber matches last, thus having the best opportunity to win heading towards Sunday.

Monday Night Raw – February 11, 2019

The five women of the championship elimination match stood in a circle in the ring. They were all ready to go, ready to fight, ready to find out which one of them would enter last on Sunday. Ruby Riott was nowhere to be seen, but she didn’t need to be. Because she had beaten Ember, she would be starting the match. Whoever would be pinned tonight would join her in opening the chamber match.

Alicia Fox darted one way towards Natalya, then snapped the other way to Mickie James. Nikki Cross copied her movements from her position between Nia Jax and Natalya. Mickie James took a step towards Alicia and one away from Nia. Four of the women shared a nod. Then they attacked Nia as one. She was the most imminent threat. They succeeded in forcing her through the ropes, then turned on each other.

Natalya was the one who had the best upper hand. Her head kept on a swivel. Some of the fighting continued outside of the ring, but Nikki screeched, and jump attacked her. Natalya had just succeeded throwing her off when Nia re-entered the ring. The immovable force succeeded in pinning her, taking the last entry spot. Natalya would start the match. She groaned from the canvas at the thought of having to face off with Ruby right off the bat.

***

“Hey, Ladybug.” Dean waltzed into the conversation you were having with a crew member with a tight grin. Seth showed up at his shoulder a second later.

You nodded, dismissing the crewman. “You only call me that when I’m being brilliant… or when I’m in a lot of trouble. Which is it this time?” Struggling to hold a light smile, you crossed your arms.

Seth spoke up. “Y/N, have you been keeping opportunities from us?”

“No…” You trailed off as they glared at you. “Okay, yes. I didn’t want people thinking I was giving you guys special treatment.”

Both of them rolled their eyes and scoffed. Dean tested the tape around his wrist. “You know that’s a weak excuse. I would be okay with that, but you don’t seem to see yourself in the wrong for any of it. This has been going on for weeks, Y/N. If not months.”

“What was I supposed to do?” The fabric of your sleeves did little to brace against the sharpness of your nails digging into your arms. “The McMahons have been watching my every move. I was afraid that if I gave you what I wanted to give you… it would make you a target. Both of you. All three of you when Roman was here,” you added softly. “Was it wrong? Probably. But it was what I had to do.”

Dean sighed and placed his hands on your shoulders. He pursed his lips, and you knew he was trying to look like a character from the old black and white movies you used to watch. One that usually was rough and tough on the outside but was all marshmallow on the inside. You had to hold back a giggle, even as he shook himself out of the pose. “It’s… well, it’s not okay. But last week you mentioned that you were going to try to have something for us this week.”

Adjusting the title on his shoulder, Seth eagerly looked to you asking, “any luck?”

You had to smile now. They weren’t as mad at you as they could have been. You’d have to be more careful in the future, but for now… “Maybe. Dean, have you ever fought Kalisto before? He wanted to try for the Intercontinental championship too. Is a match with him tonight okay? For the last spot in the Intercontinental elimination chamber?”

He beamed. “Hell, yeah, it is.”

“And, Seth, we have to figure out who’s going to enter last on Sunday. How would you like to compete for entering last in your own elimination match?”

Seth circled around to your other shoulder from Dean. He patted you on the back. “You’re an angel, Y/N.”

Under his breath, Dean muttered, “debatable.” He flinched as you play-punched his shoulder.

“Hey, we’ve got to figure out that spot for your chamber match too. Will having two matches tonight make up for not having one tonight? Assuming you beat Kalisto.”

He chuckled. “You know, normal people don’t usually like having two matches in one night.”

You and Seth both had a remark for that. “Since when are you normal?” “Normal? Has that ever described you?” Seth bumped your shoulder and laughed with you.

Dean laughed too. “Touché. Sure. You’re sorta forgiven.”

“I’ll send Kalisto to the ring, then. He’ll meet you there.” You shot Dean a smile as he left. Before Seth could follow him, you caught his arm. “Do you think he will forgive me? Do you? I’m trying, I promise, but everything keeps snowballing-“

“Y/N,” he said, cutting you off. “I know we are terrible at doing it ourselves, but talk to us. This business… it has a way of making secrets seem like the best route for things. Don’t buy into it. Trust me. It will never be worth it.” He titled his head to look into your eyes where they were watching the floor. “Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?”

The moment of hesitation was already passing when you shook your head. “No. Everything else is fine.”

Seth bobbed his head. “Okay. Then… thanks for the match. I’ll make sure to give ‘em a show.”

Then he was gone. You’d had your chance, but you still couldn’t tell him.

***

Renee was excited for Dean’s match. “I was wondering when he was going to get this opportunity. He beat Baron right after the Rumble, but Baron got a match first!”

“Yeah, and had his job on the line at the same time.” Corey grumbled, “none of this is fair to Baron, to… Dean, or even to Kalisto. If he beats Dean tonight, he’ll have to fight later too. With the way Dean fights, Kalisto can go ahead and plan to start the match on Sunday.”

Both of the men in the ring knew what was at stake. Not just their attendance in the elimination match, but their placement too. Even with this, neither held back. Dean did take several moments to appreciate his opponent’s athletic abilities, once he had stepped out of the way. And Kalisto encouraged ‘Ambrose’ chants, combining it with the motions from the ‘Lucha’ posing. Momentary distractions, doubling as breathing time they both needed. Kalisto went high for a jump. When he came down, Dean was ready with a knee to his face and a Dirty Deeds. After Dean won the pin, they shook hands and promised to try and fight each other again soon.

But first, Dean had to get ready for the second part of his opportunity.

***

Taking the ring next, Heavy Machinery received the welcome of the crowd from each side. Then Otis Dozovic took a mic and began their demand. “In NXT, if we wanted an opportunity, we asked for one. And we used it. Last week we demanded a match. And we won it. This week, we intend to do the same thing. But Heavy Machinery is not going to wait through another challenge before going through the big ones, oh no.” He chuckled. “We want AOP, old buddies, old pals. And we want you to put your titles on the line.” Tucker Knight was patting him on the back in agreement when the champions’ music hit.

Akam and Rezar walked out onto the stage, but no further. They waited. An erie laugh and a flicker of lights later, Dr. M stood in the ring in front of Dozovic and Knight. They jumped back, making Dr. M chuckle.

“No need to react so, _old friends_. I don’t have the plague. And you… you do not have a deal.” He paced back and forth. “You don’t know how procedure works around here. Title matches do not just roll around the corners at your beck and call. They must be earned. Must be deserved.” Dr. M traced his thumb across his bottom lip. “But we’ve seen you.” He motioned back to his newer prodigies. “And they have informed me as to your talents. You are to be praised!” As he outstretched his arms, the men flinched back again. “And you are to be tested, one more little step.”

The Authors of Pain began to walk down the ramp. Dozovic and Knight stanced-up for an attack.

Dr. M continued. “One last match before you can reach for the tag titles of Monday Night Raw. A number one contender’s match. Are we agreed?” He reached out his hand, waiting for one of them to shake it. Knight hesitantly took it and firmly sealed the deal. Dr. M giggled and moved out of the ring.

He watched from ringside, not saying a word. Akam and Rezar were not themselves. They stumbled around the ring. Bounced off of their challengers. And fell into moves that could have been easily avoided. Knight won the pin on Akam. The tag champions rolled out of the ring, holding the sides of their heads. Their new leader joined them on the ramp.

Giving Heavy Machinery a small wave, Dr. M smiled. “See you both on Sunday.”

“Why does this feel like a trap?” Dozovic asked. Knight frowned and shrugged. He couldn’t shake the feeling either.

***

The Riott Squad had demolished a local team last week. And Bayley. And Sasha. They were hungry for more destruction. They set their eyes on Alicia Fox and Alexa Bliss, ignoring how Alicia had already been in a match earlier.

“It seems to be a common problem,” Ruby said during their pre-match interview in front of a colored screen. “The women of Raw can’t figure out if they want to go after the women’s title, or for the women’s tag titles. Singles or tag teams?” They all giggled. “Can’t put to much emphasis on it. The guys flip-flop for title chances too. We’re not worried. Tonight, we’ll do our jobs. On Sunday Sarah and Liv will crush Bayley and Banks. And I’ll become number one contender for the women’s title. And I’ll win that too with my teammates by my side. Then we’ll really be the golden team.”

Ruby paced along the outside of the ring while Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan did good on their threats. Alexa couldn’t reach Alicia for a tag. Not that Alicia had any energy to offer. It looked like they were going to be finished in a minute. Then Alicia was dragged off the apron. Liv twisted around and saw clearly Sarah and Ruby on the other side of the ring. Turning back, she saw Sasha and Bayley attacking her next target, retaliating for last week. She screeched as the referee called for the disqualification.

Bayley gave Alicia an apologetic pat to the top of her head. They left together, their smug smiles promising that, come Sunday, the fight was not going to be so cut-and-dry as the Riott Squad thought.

***

Each member of Sunday’s Universal championship elimination match made their way down to the ring. EC3 entered first, strutting and posing all the way down. Then Bobby Roode, in his glorious fashion. And Jinder Mahal, who sent the Singh brothers backstage, assuring them he wouldn’t need their assistance. All three men shuddered when Braun entered. The whole crowd went ballistic with Finn Balor’s entrance, making him the obvious favorite. And, true to your promise, Seth entered as the last spot.

“The man has held the title for fifty-seven days now. Why would he jeopardize such a reign by inserting himself into the match on Sunday?”

“Because this is Monday Night Rollins!” Renee said. “And be careful. We all know The Man is technically on Smackdown.”

With the ring of the bell, the six men paired up against one another. The momentary tags formed and broke apart ‘faster than amoebas,’ to use Michael Cole’s words, which earned an ‘ew’ from Renee and Corey alike. When it came down to the end of the match, four of the competitors were trying to knock Braun to the outside. He tossed them all off with a roar, sending them rolling under the ropes, or flying through them. Seth jumped from a ring post with his attack, but he was caught mid-air. Braun slammed him down for the pin.

Not only had Braun ensured his entry as the last one, but he had kicked Seth to open the match too.

***

Drew McIntyre had plenty to say about Seth being in the match. “As champion, he’s supposed to start the match anyway.” He leaned back in the commentary chair, trying to stretch out in the small space. “I don’t need to waste my time being in the match tonight. I’m a true champion. I’m going to do on Sunday what a real champion would do: defend my title from the start.”

Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, and Zack Ryder entered the arena for the match. Dolph gave Drew a wave on his way in. So did Dean. Neither was well received. Nobody was willing to team up as in the last match. Apollo and Dean did work towards the common goal of beating Baron to the ground, but when Ryder tried to swing in to help, Dolph crashed through all of them in his haste to continue holding Ryder’s attention.

The final entry came down to the last second. Dolph was half a moment away from being dropped in a Dirty Deeds. He circled out, bouncing off the ropes and took Dean down with a Zig-Zag. At the count of two, he was dragged out of the ring by Baron, then tossed into the stairs. Dean tried to stagger to his feet. He blinked away the blurriness at the edge of his vision just in time to see Baron incoming. Not in time to avoid the End of Days. He was pinned. Baron rushed to the corner nearest to commentary and pointed at Drew.

The Scottish Psychopath stood, re-hefting his title on his shoulder. And pointed back.


	41. Fall Short (Elimination Chamber)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Sunday, almost all the championships are up for grabs. Will any of them change hands? Then on Monday, the Reader has to deal with Baron in the ring, who does not appreciate how he’s been treated for the past several weeks. Dean can’t save her from several bruises.

Elimination Chamber – February 17, 2019 - Kansas City, Missouri

To start the pay-per-view, Heavy Machinery waited anxiously for their champion opponents. They slapped each other on the shoulder and across the chests. Their raucous laughter died out as the Authors of Pain’s music took over the stage. Walking together, Rezar and Akam walked down the ramp. They each stepped to one side, revealing Dr. M walking behind them. He stayed ringside as they circled the ring before entering and taking the top corner. Above the ring, the elimination chamber hovered. Dozovic and Knight silently thanked the heavens they weren’t stuck in that with AOP.

Dr. M picked at the sleeve of his doctor’s coat as Rezar started the match with Knight. He paced back and forth, shouting strange phrases of encouragement to his wards. They must have understood what he meant because, between them, they kept Knight from tagging in his frantic partner. A lucky drop ensured the tag, making Dr. M spin and almost froth at the mouth. “Not to worry,” he then chuckled. Again, the strange orders laced their way across the canvas. AOP broke Dozovic down a little at a time, despite his effective offense when given the chance. He even made Dr. M laugh with his worming-drop.

Then the champions moved fast as lightning. Their tags were snappy and their attacks well-practiced. Heavy Machinery was surrounded with punches, headlocks, and kicks that kept them in a spin. Dozovic fell to the outside. He stumbled back from Dr. M’s leering sneer into an Akam powerbomb. Akam then leapt into the ring and helped Rezar finish off Knight. The Tag champions had retained.

Now, it was time for Elimination Chamber to officially begin.

***

The first match of the show was not in the chamber. The two teams didn’t need the terrifying construction of glass, steel, and chains to take each other to the limit. Liv Morgan and Sasha Banks had the crowd on their feet. Pink versus purple. Often the referee had to force them apart before they could rip each other’s bright locks from their heads. When the full rotation came to Sarah Logan and Bayley, it was a battle of strength. Quick and ring-rattling. The teams were evenly matched.

But things started to crumble.

Sasha went for a tag. Her feet were tugged out from under her and she twisted to kick at Sarah. When she started crawling for the corner again, Bayley was gone. Desperately she searched ring-side. Bayley was engaged with Liv at the other corner, oblivious to her partner’s situation. Before she could call for help, Sarah had Sasha in a headlock, cutting off her air supply. Sasha was able to flip it into a weak Bank Statement, but the damage was done. She was dragged back to the opposing corner where Liv tagged in and Sarah took over fighting Bayley outside the ring. She was pinned a few minutes later.

On the stage, Liv and Sarah held their retained titles high. Ruby came out to share a cackling hug with them. Then they walked backstage together to help Ruby get ready for her own match later. In the ring, Sasha and Bayley stayed far away from one another.

***

In the Universal elimination chamber, Braun bided his time. He watched as Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal started off, then were joined by Bobby Roode. He hit his fists on the glass as Seth was almost pinned, then calmed himself as Seth flipped it around into another near-pin of Jinder. As the lights bounced back and forth, Braun chuckled to watch Finn Balor and EC3 readying themselves to enter. With a crow of triumph, EC3 entered the match. He quickly joined forces with Roode and they were able to co-pin Jinder. Then they turned their attention to Seth, who fought to hold them off until Finn could enter.

As he did, it played out like a tag match. Seth focused on EC3, while Finn kept Roode on the steel floor surrounding the ring. Braun grinned to watch them jump as one onto their opponents. Only Finn was able to pin his. EC3 was still too fresh a wrestler and was able to continue. As the clock ticked down for Braun entrance, Finn tried to convince EC3 that they would need to work together to eliminate the monster. But he wasn’t listening. The NXT call-up tossed Seth across the ring into Braun’s chamber, then caught Finn in a roll-up. Finn was pinned just as the lights flickered for Strowman’s entry.

Braun entered as the cage wall was opened for Finn’s exit. He gave him a ‘helpful’ shove, toppling Finn down the steps. Then he turned his attention to EC3. “You should have listened to them,” he rumbled. Seth hopped on his back and started shouting at EC3 to attack. But the top one percent decided he was going to align with the obvious power in the chamber, and tugged Seth off before hitting him about the shoulders and head. When Seth was unmoving on the outside of the ring, Braun picked his unwanted teammate up and slammed him down. He continued around the ring, crashing EC3 into various hard surfaces until he could pin him. Then he looked for Seth. But couldn’t find him.

Sweat poured off his face. EC3 wasn’t a small man, and powerslamming him over and over had taken a toll. He turned to look one last place and found Seth. The champion jumped off the top of a chamber and toppled the monster. It wasn’t enough, but the distraction EC3 had accidentally provided was enough for a second wind. He was exhausted as he laid his arm over Braun’s chest, flat on the mat from his last effort. Seth could barely celebrate when the referee returned his title.

***

Ruby Riott and Natalya Hart barely waited for the bell to start the match. They both wanted to eliminate as many people as they could before Nia Jax would enter the match last. Including each other. Natalya was almost pinned when the chamber flickered and Nikki Cross entered. She broke up the pin, much to everyone’s confusion.

“Play with Nikki?” she asked Natalya, pointing at Ruby. The Riott backed away from them. She was caught on the defense until Mickie James entered, evening the field. Nikki continued to fight Ruby, but Natalya was distracted. She was further disadvantaged as Alicia Fox entered and participated in the destruction. Together, they were able to pin her. Nikki spun around in the ring, newly outnumbered. She bounced, chanting, “play, play, play.” In the scuffle, she eliminated Mickie James. Ruby was able to prevent another attack by pointing at Alicia and asking, “play?” Together, they broke Alicia down and Nikki eliminated her. The Scots woman was attacked from behind just as Nia’s chamber opened. Nikki had nothing to do with Ruby and gleefully laughed, sitting on top of a chamber, as Ruby fought to stay in the match.

Down to Ruby, exhausted, and Nia, fresh, the match lagged. More of the structure was used as a tool when their own force wasn’t enough. Ruby dodged at the last second and Nia crashed through a chamber wall, shattering the glass. Still, Nia was able to stumble out. Right into another attack and elimination. Nikki took the moment to cut Ruby’s celebration in half. Over and over she nearly had her last opponent pinned. Over and over, Ruby kicked out. Desperately, Ruby reversed a pin into a roll-up. She sat stunned center-ring after Nikki was announced as eliminated. Ruby Riott was the number one contender for the Raw women’s championship.

***

Dean started the Intercontinental elimination chamber match with Drew McIntyre. He dug into his hardcore roots, scraping Drew’s face across the chain link and bruising his back on the ringside grate. When Dolph entered, he had to focus on himself. Dolph lashed out at Drew any time Dean looked out of the match, but they quickly reunified to keep up with your cousin. Drew didn’t like it at all, and breathed a sigh of relief when Zack Ryder, then Apollo Crews entered the chamber. Baron bided his time. Watching for who was exhausted, and who to avoid. Dean eliminated Apollo with a mirrored good-hearted smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Apollo said on his way out. Drew eliminated Ryder with considerable effort, taking multiple tries while Dean and Dolph recovered on the outside.

Then Baron entered. He bee-lined for Dean. The other two men were more than willing to sit out while Baron used his opportunity to eliminate Dean. He sat back on his heels, confused, when Dean rolled to his stomach with a laugh. “You’re still going to lose,” Dean spat. “It’s going to slip through your fingers like it always does. No matter what you do to me.” He continued to laugh, even as Baron tossed him through the opening door.

“Or what I do to Y/N?” Baron sneered as Dean’s smile snapped away.

Dolph took the moment to throw Baron out just before the door closed.

“Baron Corbin has been… eliminated,” Jojo announced, surprised but unbothered. Baron rattled the cage and argued with the exterior referees.

Dolph and Drew continued to fight. A series of super kicks could not ensure a pin. The Glasgow Kiss was not enough retaliation. A Zig Zag failed to topple the champion. A Claymore Kick finished the match. Drew McIntyre had retained. But just barely. And Dolph knew it.

***

* * *

***

Monday Night Raw – February 18, 2019

“Nananana, no, no, no.” Seth waved at the crowd to stop their chanting. “I love you guys, but we’ve got some business to get to. After all… this is the era of the fighting champion, right?” He showed off the Universal, then dropped it to his shoulder. “Now, I don’t think anyone will disagree too much, but I went through a hell of a match last night. Is there anyone back there who would like… to be number one contender for this golden prize right here?”

He got his answer as Zack Ryder entered the arena. They fought, both still recovering from their separate chamber matches, but still having enough energy to show off. Ryder succeeded in downing Seth. He climbed a ringpost, ready to jump and possibly win his next chance when a large hand pushed him onto the floor. Baron hurried over and made sure he wouldn’t interfere. The referee called the disqualification, and Baron rushed in to do the same to Seth, rolling him to the floor when he was finished.

Baron smirked. “Yeah, yeah. You can boo all you like, I’m out here anyways and you are going to listen.” He lowered his mic as he was droned out. “You’re… you’re going to listen to me because I’m here to call out one of your favorites.” He grinned as the crowd died down. “So, the Elimination Chamber was fun and all, Dean, but-“

Your music sounded, confusing Baron for a minute as he mistook you for Dean. “What are you doing Baron? Writing yourself into the show is not how we do things around here.” You stepped into the ring.

“I’m here to say my piece about your cousin.”

“Are you? Okay.” You walked to the other side of the ring and leaned against the ropes. Baron stood facing the front camera again, but side-eyed you.

“You’re just going to stand there? Not going to defend Dean?”

“Nope.”

Baron shook his head and raised the mic to his lips. He growled when you cut him off.

“I’m not going to defend him. But I am going to see through what you’re doing. Baron, I know you’re a whiney child, but this isn’t why you’re out here.”

“Really? And how do you figure that?”

“Because we have all seen the altercations between you and Dean. And you tend to lose most of those. So this isn’t about Dean. What aren’t you saying that you should but can’t because you’re scared to?” You rolled the mic in your hands. Both of you knew what he really wanted to say. But the last time he’d tried, his job ended up on the line.

He fought to keep his cool. “I’m not scared to say it. I’ll tell you.” Baron hesitated between options. “The plan had been to get in Dean’s head with ripping apart your failures as manager.”

You nodded. “That’s a good plan. But maybe you haven’t noticed? Dean doesn’t fully care what I do. He gets his matches and his opportunities same as anyone-“

“Yeah, right.”

“-and I haven’t talked to him outside of the arena in weeks. Don’t need to. You, on the other hand, get antsy when the focus isn’t on you.”

“Says the woman who walked out here uninvited. Maybe I should call Sheamus and warn him about the trouble he’s walking into.”

Under your skin, you could feel sparks of unease. They were impossible to get rid of completely, but your nerves settled for irritated shivering. “Do you really want to go there? That would be… unwise.”

“Why? What are you going to do, Y/N? You’re the manager of Raw. Aren’t you supposed to remain above all this? Fighting in the ring isn’t really your place.”

“My place? Dude, there’s a McMahon whose specialty is jumping off the highest surface he can get his feet on. But you’re right, managers aren’t supposed to step in when their wrestlers get unruly. But if you’re looking for a fight with an Ambrose, I’m right here. No,” you shushed him before he could object, “Dean is busy with other people tonight. He wasn’t going to come out anyways. And if your goal was to rattle him by getting to me, that’s not going to work either. Though you can try.”

Baron stepped to tower over you. “Then let’s do this. But I bet you’re not going to last five minutes before I pin you, or before Dean comes out to save you.”

“Who says I needs saving?” You matched his glare for as long as he could hold it. When he looked away, you shot him another sweep. “I’m a busy woman. Think you can be patient enough for later tonight?”

“Oh, look at that. Miss Y/N Ambrose using her position to take the main event. The irony-“

“Do you want the match or not?”

Baron smirked but nodded. “Yeah.” He cocked his head. “See you in the main event.”

As he left, Seth crawled off the floor into the ring. “If I’m not intruding, would you like someone in your corner?” You nodded, then shook his hand. It was going to be a long night.

***

Since Heavy Machinery had been unable to defeat the champions, another team needed to earn their chance. Up first was Lucha House Party versus the team of Dana Brooke and Tyler Breeze. Kalisto bounced along ringside, spinning the rattles each time Lince Dorado or Gran Metalik landed a hit. Both teams had successful strengths. But it was the mixture of Breeze’s speed and agility, and Dana’s strength and quick thinking that won. They were the first to claim their spot in the number one contender’s match that would happen at Fastlane.

***

Drew took a mic and paced to the center of the ring. He chuckled. “Were any of you really worried? This championship isn’t goin’ anywhere. Well, except to switch between my waist and my shoulder. As for my opponents from Sunday, did any of ya really t’ink that you would beat me? Ha! You were too busy squabblin’ between yourselves to focus on the champion. I beat you all. Played you like fiddles. And Dolph,” he paused. He swallowed a lungful of air. “My old friend. You did surprisingly well. I’ll give ya that. But that was the closest you will ever get to even thinkin’ about holdin’ this title. All your scheming and planning, your irritatin’ getting in the way, it will always fall short. I’ll always promise ya tha-“

He stopped and ducked just in time as Braun tried to attack him from behind.

The champion backed up to the ropes far away from him. “And what do ya think you’re doin’ out here? I t’ought you were busy with the Universal.”

Braun rolled back his shoulders. “I was. But… that title is cursed. Or haven’t you noticed?” He shook his head. “No. If I want to win a championship, I would prefer to take one that isn’t weighed down with secrets and a history of forgettable reigns.” He stepped forward, grinning as Drew retreated to the apron. “I’ll be seeing you soon, Drew. If you’re the champion you claim to be, there will probably be an open challenge next week. And I might just answer.”

The men came to stare each other down on the apron. With a proud huff, Braun left first.

***

“Why did you strand me in the ring?” Sasha shadowboxed an invisible opponent. “If you had been there for the tag, we would be tag champions right now.”

Bayley slumped in her seat. “I was trying to watch your back. That’s what teammates do.”

“Teammates are there for each other. Not distracted and halfway around the ring.”

“You tell her, Sasha.” Tamina laughed and walked up between them with Nia. “Though, I don’t really believe it would have made a difference.”

Nia chimed in. “Agreed. You guys have been a mess since… forever. Tonight was another classic Banks n’ Bayley.”

“But don’t worry,” Tamina teased, “I’m sure another chance will come around eventually. If you two don’t break each other first.” She and Nia left, laughing.

Sasha dug her fingernails into her arm and faced Bayley. “Something has got to give, Bayley. Either we need to make this work, or we need to cut our losses.”

“Is that what you want?” Bayley’s small voice stilled Sasha’s nervous shifting. The woman walked away without giving an answer.

***

Apollo had challenged Dean to a match after what happened Sunday night. They had unfinished business. It turned into a great match, both sides appreciating the skill in the other.

But Dean was distracted. Between what Baron had told him, and your match later that night, his mind was all over the place. Often, Apollo snapped his fingers in front of Dean’s face. Eventually, it irritated Dean, and he lost control in his anger. Apollo caught him and pinned him. They still shook hands at the end and left the ring together.

“She’s going to be alright,” Apollo said. “She’s a tough woman.”

“I know.” Dean stepped away from him and took the stairs to the garage instead of going to gorilla. “It’s probably going to get her hurt.”

***

He found Baron backstage sitting on a crate. Baron jumped to his feet, but Dean waved him down. “How… couple weeks ago… how did you know Y/N had been giving Elias better opportunities?”

Grinning with all teeth, the lone wolf chuckled. “A little birdy told me. Well… a monstrous birdy.”

Not liking the vague answer, Dean stomped off down the hall, only to bump into you. He almost turned around but traded the idea to catch your arm. “I don’t want you fighting Baron tonight. He’s… shifty. And I need to take care of him myself.

You smiled shallowly. “This isn’t really about you. Trust me.” You raised your hands in surrender to keep him from speaking. “I’ve made my path, and I’ve got to see it out. Okay? But… whatever happens, do not get involved. Promise me.”

Hesitating, he nodded.

“No.”

Dean sighed. “I promise.”

“Thank you.” You left him, not really trusting him to not get involved. In the distance, you could hear guitar strumming. Maybe it was time for another chat.

***

Ruby had won the right to challenge Ember Moon for the Raw women’s title, but she had some unfinished business first. After making Liv and Sarah stay backstage, she met Nikki Cross in the ring. Nikki had almost cost her the chance of a lifetime. She couldn’t let it go unpunished.

Perhaps she should have. Nikki’s energy hadn’t depleted on Sunday; there was plenty for tonight. And having fought a focused Ruby before, she knew where to hit and what to avoid. Her manic attention to detail won the match, much to the delight of the crowd. She giggled and chortled, sitting on the apron, as Ruby retreated up the ramp.

***

Seth entered first. Baron was already in the ring, leaning forward on the stage-side ropes. You walked out next, then started to run as Baron slid out of the ring. He went straight for Seth, shoving you to the floor. They fought around the ring. Seth’s body whipped around a ring-post and didn’t move. Baron went back for you, mockingly motioning for the referee to start the match. You nodded, using the ropes to keep you upright. The bell rang, and Baron started kicking you. The referee tried to pull him away but had to disqualify the match. You let yourself be dragged to the center of the ring, accepting that Baron was never going to play fair. You laid against the canvas as he went for a mic, gasping as he pulled you to your feet.

“Come on out, Dean!” Baron tightened his grip on the back of your neck. Gritting your teeth did not go unnoticed. “Think he’s going to swallow his pride for you, Y/N? Come out and save his baby cousin? Or is he going to let me take you apart, piece by piece?”

You elbowed him in the ribs and bolted. It was only a few steps though. There was rattling series of clicks and cold metal locked around your wrists. Baron yanked you to your feet and shoved you through the ropes to stand precariously on the apron. He pulled your hands over your head by the long chain between the cuffs.

“Last chance Dean.”

The arena was silent.

“Fine.” The mic fell to the ring with a thud.

Baron pulled the chain back over the top corner post and kicked your feet out from under you. You fell with a screech, your toes barely scrapping the floor. He hopped down and dug under the ring, coming up with a kendo stick. Your eyes went wide, and you struggled to gain any leverage.

***

In the back, Dean ran through the hallways. Elias caught him around the waist. “No, you can’t go out there. She’s got this.”

Dean pulled Elias back a few steps to a backstage screen. “She does not ‘got’ this. She’s dissociating.” Dean pointed to you on the screen. You had closed your eyes even as Baron was swinging. You did not cry out but flexed and let your shoulders go limp for a second. “Back off! This is your fault in the first place. I’ve got to get out there!” He tried to run, but Elias caught him again. Apollo ran up to help hold him.

***

With each swing, you closed yourself further and further off from the pain raging up and down your torso. Baron dropped the stick and smugly swaggered closer to you.

“Guess he’s not coming then. Maybe I should get a little more hands on.” He tightened his hands into fists and stanced himself like you were a punching bag.

Your eyes snapped open and you pulled on the chain. It was enough for you to effectively kick off Baron’s bent knee and up his body until you could jump to the apron and hurry through the ropes. He followed you, but you caught his swinging arm with the cuffs’ chain and unbalanced him. You kicked, punched, threw everything you had at him until he slumped to the canvas. You sensed movement behind you and turned sharply, ready for another attack.

Seth took a weary step back.

Standing up straight you used one of your bobby pins to work out of the cuffs. You attached one to Baron’s wrist, and the other to the bottom rope. His head raised up just in time to see you roll to the floor. After a second of an intense gaze, you turned and made your way up the ramp without looking back. Not even to Seth.

There was a ruckus from backstage as you made it to the stage. Dean came skidding out, Apollo and Elias close on his heels. They froze when they saw you. Seeing Dean broke through the walls you had built. Eyes to the floor and anywhere but at him, you walked backstage. Soon you heard him running after you.

“Y/N. I’m sorry. I was coming-“

“You should have stayed back here. Like you promised.” With a growl you let Dean turn you around to face him. He gingerly thumbed over your sore wrists until you pulled away.

“Where… where did you learn-“

“I don’t know. Could have been a Hardy, someone outside the WWE… a YouTube. I did what I had to. You’ve still got your honor-“

“And you your secrets-“

“And I’m okay. That’s what the training was for.”

“Y/N-“

“No. You don’t get to look at me like that. I’m not a child. I don’t need you to watch my back. Protect me. Wipe my nose or tell me to clean up my messes. I can defend myself because I needed to know how. People started offering because they felt sorry for me I swore that I would never be helpless again. I never wanted to see those faces of pity again. That’s why you got into all this, wasn’t it?” You scoffed. “Life was going down the tubes and you were doing your best to leave everything behind and defend yourself in the only way you knew how. But now that I’m doing the same thing, it’s wrong and reckless and you constantly try to talk me out of it. You know what I think you’re afraid of? When I started you were afraid I was going to turn out like you. Heads up: I’m not you. Never will be. I’ve made my own choices and got my own regrets. No. What you’re scared of now is the inevitable Last Ambrose Standing.” You leaned back with a smile. “Don’t worry; it’s not going to happen for a good long while, if at all. If we play our cards right.”

You stopped, panting. The adrenaline that had fueled tonight began to slack off. What you said hit you in the gut. You took a breath and rubbed the space between your eyes.

“Dean, I… I’m fine. Really. I’ll… I’ll catch you later.” Looking behind him you could see Apollo and Elias approaching with Seth leaning on their shoulders. You left before they could get to you.


	42. Business as Usual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The choices are getting harder for the Reader, and everyone is taking notice. If she’s not careful, the fallout will be catastrophic not only to the roster but to her relationship with her cousin, Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, had to look it up, but because my series doesn’t align with the actual events of Raw, Dolph Ziggler never held the IC in 2018. Keep that in mind. Wow, a lot of stuff has happened. Thank you guys for sticking around with this series! Also, correction: the next PPV is Fastlane, not Starrcade. My bad.

Monday Night Raw – February 25, 2019

“I’m sure our general manager, Y/N Ambrose, is not happy with how tonight started,” Cole reported. “Apparently, Dean stormed into her office and demanded a title match. He did get one, but it’s for the number one contender’s spot for the Universal. We could possibly see Ambrose versus Rollins at WrestleMania or sooner if the cousins work out a deal.”

“Unlikely,” Corey added.

Renee was in agreement. “After their spat last week, I don’t think they are going to see eye to eye any time soon. Do you guys think there will be an Ambrose versus Ambrose match?”

“What does it matter?” Corey chuckled. “We all know who you’d root for.”

“Perhaps.” Renee’s voice dropped to barely audible. “I would prefer them not to fight at all.”

Dean made his way to the ring, bouncing around while he waited for his opponent. You sent out Mojo Rawley. He hadn’t fought in a while, and he was eager to try for another title chance. Even if it meant facing an irate Dean.

To Mojo’s credit, he was willing to do anything not waste this opportunity. His own body was on the line, taking a lot as Dean punched through his frustration. You watched from backstage, glad this worked out as the opening match. The crowd was on its feet and chants for both opponents were split down the middle. But Mojo got a little too into it. You flinched as the referee forcefully pulled him away from stomping on Dean while holding the ropes but ignoring the five-count. You headed to Gorilla.

In the time it took you to make it there, Mojo had disqualified himself. You rushed out onto the stage. “I don’t think we’ve seen enough of this match. Have you?” you asked the audience. The smattering of boos was easily ignored with a surface smile. “Let’s restart this as a no disqualification, no count-out match.”

Dean grinned. He rolled out of the back of the ring and came up with a steel chair. Mojo had rolled the other way. He came back into the ring with a kendo stick. They began again. Dean’s eyebrow opened with a small gash that bled down his face. Mojo backed away, suddenly unsure of Dean’s calm as the referee checked on him. Then the referee turned to double check on Mojo.

It was then that Elias rushed up the back-right steps and pulled Dean’s head back into the turnbuckles before pushing him forward to fall on his face. Mojo knew a chance when he saw one. Elias disappeared. Mojo leapt for the pin. The referee counted to three. Dean didn’t come around until Mojo was already having his hand raised.

Backstage, you breathed a sigh of relief.

Maybe if you avoided your office, Dean couldn’t find you to ask questions you didn’t have answers for.

***

He found you anyway, waving away a medic. “Okay, maybe I was a little pushy getting that match, but what the hell was that?” Dean growled and rolled out an ache in his neck.

It took all your strength to keep a neutral face. “You’ve been complaining for months that I wasn’t putting you in matches. But then I restarted this match so you could win not by disqualification, and you’re still mad at me.”

Dean shook his head. “No. Don’t turn this around. Yeah, I’m still confused about the last several months. Last week you won’t let me help you. This week you sent your attack dog to ensure I lost. Is it because I wronged you in another life, or is it because I couldn’t stop child services from taking you away? I thought I apologized for that already, but I can do it again.”

You scoffed. “I doubt your pride could take the hit.”

“Then maybe you should apologize. Because some’s got to clear the air around here.”

“No. I won’t say I’m sorry for what I did. My choices have been my own. There’s nothing I can do to change them. The bridge is burned, and I hated to watch it, but here we are. You. And me.” The force behind your statements almost made you believe them.

Dean stared you down. You shuffled on your feet, feeling more and more like the little girl caught borrowing his lock-picking set than the general manager of Raw. Finally, he sighed. “You really are gunning for a match between us, aren’t you? Fastlane or WrestleMania?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to!” The words burned passing your lips. If you stayed any longer you were going to tell him everything. Your mask of assuredness was beginning to break. His brow was already starting to crease as he realized you were holding something back. Before you could spill, you turned on your heel and hurried away.

***

Dolph Ziggler had taken over the ring in the meantime. He strutted around seeming very proud of himself. A review of the elimination chamber had just played, showing off his talent and how he’d been the last one eliminated. He was almost laughing too hard to speak. “I think I did rather well at Elimination Chamber, don’t you? All things considered, from Drew’s betrayal back at TLC, to getting walked over in opportunities, to having to fight for my spot in that match, I made it to the last two. And not just that, I almost had Drew pinned.” He hummed in delight. “I was runner up in the chamber.” He sang that little comment again and smiled. “And as such, I believe I deserve the first chance at the Intercontinental Championship.”

He would have said more, but the crowd overpowered him as Finn Balor’s music hit. “I ‘ave to congratulate ya on your accomplishment last week. Runner up against everyone in tha match is quite the accolade.”

Pseudo-bowing at the waist, Dolph thanked him. His head tilted in confusion as Finn began to make his way down the ramp instead of going backstage.

“But, that’s all you’ve ever been when it comes ta Drew. Runner up. Second best. An aftert’ought.” He stepped through the ropes. “Come on, Dolph. How long ‘as it been since you’ve been champion? I had to look it up. December of 2017, and ya told the WWE Universe t’at they didn’t deserve you. Then you vacated the title and haven’t ‘ad one since. It seems the titles and Universe decided they didn’t deserve you. Now, I’ve just been a champion. An’ I will be again because I’m still hungry for it. Even if I have ta go through you. You, who seems to have lost his edge.”

Dolph stepped to get in his face. “Maybe so. But at least I don’t need a demon to sit on my shoulder to win matches. I will beat McIntyre for the Intercontinental Champion. And I’ll do it before you can get your hands on it.”

Both men turned and readied for a fight as bagpipes took over the speakers. But Drew McIntyre came out in a black suit, making the white and gold belt stand out. “You are both welcome to try and take this title from me. Tell ya what… I’ll have an open challenge next week. But, it’s only open for one spot. Whoever makes it to the ring first, gets the opportunity. Deal?” He grinned as Finn and Dolph shouted in agreement. “May the best man step up, then.”

***

Charly Caruso sighed in relief as she spotted Elias. “Thank goodness I found you.”

He was not as enthusiastic. “Charly, why are you interrupting my rehearsal time? Do you have any idea how long it took me to find a quiet space in this lousy arena? I think it probably would have been easier to leave this untalented city entirely so that I could hone my craft.”

“Please, Elias. WrestleMania is rapidly approaching, as is Fastlane. You have yet to announce who you will be challenging for the main event match you won by winning the Royal Rumble. As the championships sit, would you rather face Seth Rollins for the Universal or Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship?” She held out her mic.

Elias looked at it indignantly but answered anyway. Sort of. “The Universal I would have to say has the most prestige. It’s been a hard championship to win, and an even harder one to hold onto… unless you are a certain incarnate beast. But some people say that the title is cursed to bring title ends in terrible ways. Balor’s injury. Kevin Owen’s forgettable reign. Goldberg’s twenty-second WrestleMania loss. Maybe I don’t want it. The Intercontinental is a classic. It’s got style, almost as much as it deserves. Around my waist again, it would be given back it’s well-deserved glory. But McIntyre seems a little busy with squabblers. And one more that he hasn’t paid enough attention to, besides me.”

He shook his head and stood. “Nah, I just might wait until after Fastlane to pick. Now if you’ll excuse me… I need to find a new spot to perfect my melodious gospel.”

With a huff, Charly dropped her mic and watched as Elias drifted into the shadows.

***

The second spot in Fastlane’s match for the tag team titles was up for grabs next. Tyler Breeze and Dana Brook were the surprise winners last week. This week, the match came down to the B-Team and the Ascension.

“And can you believe it, Y/N is considering making Fastlane’s match a triple threat. How is anyone supposed to compete with those kinds of odds?”

Cole grit his teeth at Corey’s outburst but had a quick enough answer. “The same way they have before I suppose: keep their head on a swivel.” He flinched and called Konnor’s drop of Bo Dallas.

The tag was made from each corner, bringing in the two wearied teammates. Viktor stumbled through a strike, giving Curtis Axel the room to catch him and drop him. As he went for a pin, Bo rushed forward and kept Konner from interfering. The B-Team was going to Fastlane to face an unknown number of opposing teams.

***

Rhonda Rousey fiddled with the mic in her hands. It took her a moment to gather up the last of her thoughts. “At first, I wanted to talk things over with Natalya in private. But the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that you guys need to hear her answers too.” She took a deep breath. “A few weeks ago, Natalya and I had a match to determine which one of us was going to have a spot in the chamber match. I went into it thinking I was entering the ring with a friend. If either of us lost, there weren’t going to be any hard feelings. But then… well. Maybe we should just show the clip.” She turned to look at the Titantron. First, it showed the impromptu ‘Moment of Bliss’ interview.

_Alexa smiled. “What happens if one of you wins the Raw women’s championship after the Elimination Chamber? What happens to the-” she gestured between them, “the friendship?”_

_“Nothing.” Rhonda squirmed in her seat. “I’ve been here for almost a year. Natalya is my closest friend here.” She faced Natalya. “Why can’t we try one of those things where we help one of us get the title, then we’re the first challenge? Between the two of us, we could either rack of title reigns or help one another ensure long, successful ones.”_

_Not it was Natalya’s turn to squirm in her seat. “Rhonda, I’ve been in this business my whole life. I’ve seen-“ She sighed. “You know those don’t actually work, right? Someone always wants to be the best. They can’t be that if they’re always in their friend’s shadow.”_

Then, the clip showed part of the match.

_Natalya sprung forward, renewing her attack. “Take what you can get,” she muttered. Rhonda heard and faltered in her steps. She caught a kick to the face that put her in the perfect position for a Sharpshooter. Natalya released her as soon as the referee told her Rhonda had tapped._

With the clip over, Rhonda was about to speak when Natalya entered the arena. She stepped only as far as center stage, establishing that she wasn’t going to enter the ring. “What’s your point, Rhonda. This is the WWE. We wrestle. We fight. We win opportunities and we win titles.”

“I get that. And I get that sometimes the goals come between people. But was it worth it? You lost to Nia and had to start the title match. Then, you were eliminated by Mickie and Alicia. The opportunity you fought so hard for fell flat.” Rhonda stepped closer to the ropes, halting as Natalya took a step back yards away on the stage. “Why can’t we work together like they did. Like Sasha and Bayley do?”

“You realize you’ve picked the worst examples, right?” Natalya huffed with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m a third generational wrestler, Rhonda. Title reigns have come and gone, some recently for me. But with each passing week, I can physically feel them getting further and further away. When I think about it, it’s hard to breathe. I don’t want that burn, that desire to hold gold again, to go on so long that it slips into feeling normal. I can’t.”

A pause separated the two women. Rhonda quietly said, “so where do we go from here? Sometimes I feel like you’re my only true friend here, but nowadays even that is disappearing.”

Natalya looked off into the crowd instead of at Rhonda. “We continue to train together. Business as usual. Let life and work roll on. This will work itself out.”

“Business?” Rhonda nodded. “Okay. So be it.”

***

The non-title match between the Riott Squad and the team of Nia Jax and Tamina was supposed to be the main event.

Ruby Riott was ringside, doing her thing and keeping an eye on anything that might threaten her teammates. The Squad themselves were keeping up with the powerhouses. Liv Morgan was successfully irritating Tamina into making mistakes, and Sarah was surprising Nia with strength of her own. The Squad had switched so it was Nia versus Liv at the moment when Ruby drifted to thinking about her own plans. She was still keeping a lookout by looking to one side, but her thoughts kept her blind to what was coming from the other direction. It wasn’t until Sarah was knocked off the apron to fall over her that Ruby realized her mistake.

While Liv rushed to the ropes to check on her partners, Tamina rushed back and tagged in. She rushed to grab Liv’s pink locks and slammed her back for the pin. Sarah scrambled to get in the ring, but she was too late to stop it.

Beaten, the Riott Squad tried to hasten a retreat. Nia’s voice over the speakers froze their steps.

“You know, Tamina, I don’t feel like we’ve had enough excitement for tonight.”

“You know, Nia. I have to agree. What did you have in mind to change that?”

“I thought maybe, since Ruby Riott hasn’t done anything tonight, I might just challenge her to a match.” She grinned.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Tamina continued. “But what about the other two? They might get in the way.”

Nia draped an arm over her shoulder. “That’s what I’ve got you for. Someone who really knows how to watch my back. Someone who doesn’t… get distracted.”

That final addition made Ruby grit her teeth. Before her squad could hold her back, she slid into the ring and told the referee to ring the bell. Tamina rolled to the floor before it did, cutting Liv and Sarah off from getting closer. She kept an eye on the match by glancing at the Titantron.

In the ring, Nia was already built up from her last match. Ruby was still distracted. And now angry too, which kept blinding her to obvious feigns from Nia and the consequences of her own mistakes. She was able to hold an upper hand for a while, but Nia shut it down. A final Samoan Drop ended the match, leaving Ruby in a heap.

Tamina held up her arms as Liv and Sarah ran past. They ignored the other team leaving and rushed to help Ruby sit up. Liv took the tag title just now being returned to them and set them to one side. Ruby’s eyes followed them. As her teammates patted her on the back with uplifting words, she kept her gaze on the pair of white and gold. She reached her hand out to them, but couldn’t bring herself to touch them. Liv and Sarah flinched away as she shrugged them off.


	43. It's Official

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last matches are set for Fastlane, including one that the Reader knows she’s going to regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fuzz, Roman is back! Which means that I can revert to my original WM plan. Wohoo! No need for the alternative with Brock Lesnar. Maybe. Mwahahaha. Okay. Obviously super excited. Enjoy this new chapter! (I’m such a nerd.)

Monday Night Raw – March 4, 2019

The arena nearly lost its roof. Roman Reigns was in remission. He looked great. He was smiling. And the Big Dog was back in business. On his way up the ramp, Seth Rollin’s music hit. Dean came out too, nearly felling Roman in a hug. For old time’s sake, they stood shoulder to shoulder and observed the WWE universe cheering for them. Then Roman gave Seth a pat on the back and left with Dean to watch the match from the back.

Last week Mojo Rawley won the match that set him as the number one contender spot for the Universal Championship. But he only got it because you restarted the match as a no disqualification. And still only because Elias interfered while the referee’s back was turned, not that it would have mattered.

Seth knew all of this. But he had a match tonight. It wasn’t for the title. He wanted to see what Mojo had up his sleeve and was more than willing to give him the same courtesy. And then at Fastlane, they would figure out who was truly the best. Seth bit his lip and tightened his wrist straps while he watched the clip of what happened before the show started.

_Walking in with a mountain of luggage, Seth bobbed in and out of techies. Dean suddenly arrived at his side. “If Mojo loses tonight, I get to face you at Fastlane, right?”_

_“What?” Seth sputtered. He screeched to a halt. “As far as I know, that’s not… tonight’s match isn’t his title match. It’s not till Sunday.”_

_Dean growled and rolled his eyes. “Then why are you fighting him tonight? You guys have fought each other before. Won’t be anything new.”_

_Seth chuckled. “Wouldn’t be anything new with you either, brother.”_

_With a smile, Dean rotated his shoulders. “That’s what you think. I’ve still got tricks up my sleeve that could take you.”_

_“And I’m sure Mojo is thinking the same way. Why shouldn’t I use tonight to try and make him slip up?” He nudged Dean’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, man. But I can’t help you out tonight.” He had to walk away. Anything instead of seeing Dean’s face drop. He stopped again but had to smile at Dean’s parting words._

_“Hey, Seth. Roman and I will be keepin’ an eye on you tonight.”_

Still, Mojo’s music was almost a relief. They got to it. Mojo indeed had a few things up his sleeves. He had a new submission move that caught Seth by surprise, trapping him against the canvas and denying him oxygen. Seth gasped and used the crowd’s encouragement to fight to his knees. They continued. As one would up his game, the other would up his as well. In the back, Dean and Roman nodded in appreciation.

Then the tides turned. Mojo landed a lucky hit to Seth’s formally injured knee. Then once he saw how much it slowed Seth down, he kept gunning for it. He dumped Seth to the outside, fighting to catch his own breath. It was a race between the pain and the referee’s ten count. The count won, giving Mojo the won by count-out. He nodded, accepting it and having his arm raised. While that wouldn’t help him win the title on Sunday, he had solidified his knowledge in Seth’s weak spot.

***

Dean and Roman finished watching Seth leaning his back against the side of the ring. Roman nodded that he was going to go help him, and Dean left in the other direction. He turned a corner and interrupted your thoughts over your phone. “Another stellar title defense by Seth Rollins. Oh, wait.” You couldn’t meet his eye and slid your phone into your pocket. “But then, we both know it’s a bunch of crap. If you hadn’t interfered last week, I could be champion right now.”

“You just keep telling yourself that.”

“Stop.” He leaned against the wall, blocking your escape path. “We need to talk about… what we both said last week. About the possible match.”

You shook your head. “You were the one that brought up the match last week. I was ready to drop it.” With a sigh, you tried to calm yourself. “We’re cousins, Dean. It shouldn’t… is this normal? This fighting and not understanding what each of us is trying to do?” Before he could spout something, you raised your hands in surrender. “I know what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to wrestle. You want to win championships. I get that. But you have to understand that I am seeing a much bigger picture. I’m trying to protect the legacy you built for yourself.”

“My-“ he laughed, “my legacy? If I was worried about a legacy I would still want to defend it. You keep saying that you’re trying to help. I’m not seein’ it. This isn’t help,” he motioned between you. “This is a problem. A problem that’s not gonna go away until one of us gives.”

You nodded. This wasn’t going anywhere. “Okay. Agreed. Then what? We have a match. Either I kick your ass or you kick mine, we’re still pissed off at each other. It doesn’t solve anything.”

Dean swayed away and back with a grin. “You kick my ass? Y/N, you couldn’t if you tried.”

“Oh, but you forget. I’ve been trained by the two guys who know you best.” Dean squinted at you while you crossed your arms. “Roman and Seth. Spears, the occasional curb stomp, superman punches, and dropkicks. Ha, I even went into the archives and learned some of your old moves. Way old. You probably wouldn’t even see them coming.” His short-lived lightheartedness sputtered out. You kept pushing. “And you helped train me for Survivor Series.” You looked away. “It seems like a lifetime ago.”

Dean nodded. “Yeah. Time moves like that ‘round here. One day you’re teaming with someone who’s your whole world, and the next you realize you didn’t really know them. Don’t worry, I’m kinda getting’ used to it.”

“I’m not Seth. And I’m not betraying you; I’m protecting you for reasons you-”

“This is the WWE, Y/N! I don’t need protecting. I need room to do my job, what I love to do. You could set the whole locker room on me and I would still fight my way through them. I don’t care what your reasons are.” He huffed and crossed his arms. “If the reasons are such a linchpin in this, tell me.” It was a demand. Either you had to answer this, or Fastlane just got a new grudge match.

“I… I can’t.”

His temples twitched as he tensed his jaw. “Okay. Then you know what you have to do. Set the match. Nothing on the line to win or lose. Since that seems to be the only kind of match you can give me. I won’t even bother you for one this week.” Dean walked away before you could say anything.

When had everything gotten out of control? Your goal had been to reunite with your cousin, not end up fighting him.

Still, you pulled out your phone and made a call. Swallowing, your voice cracked as you said, “it’s done. Make it official.” On the other end, you heard another order, one that made your shoulders slump. “Yes, sir.” You hung up.

***

Tamina and Nia Jax took control of the ring. Smugly, they looked over the crowd and laughed at the boos they were already receiving. “We beat the Riott Squad last week,” Tamina said.

They shared a laugh. Nia repeated her in a sing-song voice, “we beat the Riott Squad last week!”

“And as such, you all owe us some respect.” Tamina paced from one side of the ring to the other in front of Nia. “We have been the dominant team on Raw since before the tag titles were announced. You guys have no idea how many matches were changed because teams would back out of matches instead of facing us, women to women.” She stopped. “So we’ve got a little plan to up the stakes. To ‘earn’ what is already ours.”

Nia stepped up and placed her hand on Tamina’s shoulder. “As we see it, and as Y/N has made official, by beating the Riott Squad last week, we became the number one contenders for the tag titles and will face them at Fastlane. But. This is the age of the fighting champions.” Nia pseudo-bowed at the waist. “And we are willing to put that on the line for any team in that locker room. _Any_.”

“So come out, come out, whichever of you dare.” Tamina handed her mick to Nia, who tossed them towards the bel box.

They sniggered as Alicia Fox and Mickie James came out to Alicia’s music. Their halting steps seemed odd until they broke apart, revealing Alexa Bliss pushing them onto the stage. She frowned at them, motioning for them to keep moving. The women rolled back their shoulders and did as they were told. Alexa retreated backstage.

Tamina and Nia had control for most of the match. They gleefully switched tags as quickly as they could, boxing Mickie James in their corner. She was scrapping the bottom on her energy reserves and Alicia scurried across the ring to break up a pin. Alicia faced up to Nia, who was quickly joined by Tamina. They didn’t try to hit her as she wasn’t legal, but they didn’t realize until it was too late that the stand-off had given Mickie enough time to crawl to the corner. Alicia rushed back and tagged in. Both of the number one contenders had used a lot of energy to break down Mickie. That plan had backfired.

The new plan was to stay afloat, which worked for a good while. Unfortunately, the damage was done. Foxy made a quick exit from the ring as the bell rang after a roll-up that pinned Nia. Mickie went with her, lifting her arm in the air and beaming through the exhaustion.

***

For the final spot in the tag triple threat, the Revival was facing the team of Chad Gable and Bobby Roode. About halfway through the match, Dr. M appeared in the bell box. He didn’t interfere, but he walked around the ring. All four participants kept a wary eye on his movements, only half attacking one another until he walked backwards up the ramp and out of the arena. The Revival won the match, but they didn’t celebrate much. Even Gable and Roode had their attention focused on where Dr. M disappeared. Even more worrying, was the absence of AOP.

***

Backstage, Ruby Riott was finishing up the last of her shadowboxing. Alexa Bliss, having seen Ruby lose to Nia Jax last week, knew an opportunity when she saw one. Ruby’s place in Fastlane was set. But if Alexa beat her tonight, well, then her path was open to WrestleMania.

“We can be out there, ya know.” Liv Morgan swung her legs from her seat on a crate. “Alexa is slippery. Lives up to it.”

Sarah Logan nodded. “You don’t have to face her alone. We’ve got your back.”

“Like I had your back last week?” Ruby shivered to a stop. “I appreciate it… but I’m going to be facing Ember alone on Sunday. I need to win this fight alone as well. To prove that I can to the WWE universe… and to me,” she added at a whisper. While she grabbed her jacket, she missed the sad shared look between Liv and Sarah. “I’ll catch up after.”

Her teammates watched in silence as she walked away.

Alexa entered the arena first, still riding the high of her friends winning their match against Nia and Tamina. She was smiling brightly. Confident. Proud just to the cusp of excessive. She paused halfway down the ramp to take a breath and to put on her game face. Her expression became a hard slab of cold marble. Something for Ruby to break her fingers on.

Ember Moon walked out on stage. She gave the audience a wave and joined the commentary table. “Hey, guys. Thank you. Glad to be here.”

Then Ruby entered. She grinned and sneered as usual, but it was missing the usual bitter edge. It continued to be missing as the match began. Alexa took advantage of the gaps in Ruby’s attacks and defenses. A particularly hard bounce off the edge of the apron made Ms. Bliss crow in victory. She let her feet dangle off the edge while Ruby tried to recover on the floor.

“What happened to you?” she asked. “I thought you were going to take the roster by storm. Yet, you seem to keep coming up short.”

“You would know about short things,” Ruby spat. She made it to her feet but caught a kick to the face that sent her back to the floor.

“Don’t interrupt.” Alexa flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I know what happened. You helped your friends get the tag titles, and now you can’t seem to win your own gold. Oh well. So much for Riott domination.” She climbed the ring post as Ruby made it to her feet again. With a Twisted Bliss, she sent Ruby to the floor for the third time, then rolled her into the ring. Ruby kicked out with a scream.

Ember had some thoughts about Ruby’s bad couple of weeks. “An angry Ruby is a dangerous Ruby. First, she lost to Nikki Cross. Then to Nia last week. If she loses to Alexa tonight, I think it will be the last straw. She’s going to go ballistic.” Ember stroked the leather of the championship. “Just seeing the title does something to you. It… ignites a power in your blood you didn’t know you had. On Sunday, when the referee holds this title up in the air, I know Ruby is going to get hit with that power surge. I’ve been riding for over a month. I’ll have to be careful that it doesn’t stutter out. And watch my back leading up to Sunday. I wouldn’t put it past Ruby not to try something to weaken me before we get to Fastlane.” She flinched as Ruby dropped Alexa off the turnbuckles.

Corey leaned across the table to hold her attention. “What happens if she does beat you?”

She eased back in her chair. And smiled. “I wanted to hold this championship for at least eighty days. As of Wednesday, I’ll have reached that goal.” Her smile brightened, denying that fate. “But maybe I’ve got one more surprise in me. Maybe I can stretch it out to a hundred.”

If the way Ruby took another Twisted Bliss was any indication of how Sunday would go, Ember was going to fulfill her wish. Ruby wasn’t able to kick out again. Alexa was even possible to go as far as posing with her foot on Ruby’s stomach. During her exit, she shot a cold smile at Ember as a warning.

***

Drew McIntyre was confused when Braun Strowman answered the open challenge. “What are ya doin’ out here, Braun? You are neither Finn Balor nor Dolph.” He snorted. “What you’d do to them?”

The monster among men shrugged away the accusation. “I thought this was an open challenge. Open usually means that anyone can answer. I didn’t do anything to Finn or your buddy Dolph. This time.”

Overhead, the Titantron came to life with a video of what was happening backstage. Trainers had helped Finn to sit up and braced against a wall. His legs stretched out in front of him on the floor, blocking the hallway. They had him lean forward so they could see the back of his neck and upper back. The camera caught the view of some bright red welts already beginning to form. While Finn groaned, another clatter of backstage equipment echoed down the hallway. Some trainers broke off. Dolph was now laid out across the floor, writhing in pain. They called for more help as Elias whistled in the background. He was mostly in shadow, but the hall lights glinted off the fractured edges of his guitar.

Braun shook his head. “Okay, so I knew about Finn. But Dolph was just taken out. I was out here.” Innocently, he flattened his hand on his chest. “So, it couldn’t have been me.” With a sneer, he dropped the mic and made his way down to the ring. He entered the ring and nodded at the referee, who hesitantly reached for the Intercontinental title in Drew’s hands. He reluctantly handed it over.

The title stipulation was called, and then the bell rang. At the end of the show, Drew retained his title. Braun was pinned cleanly, though that didn’t stop the monster from rising to glare at Drew as the champion stood on the ramp. Nor did Drew’s smug holding his title in the air dissipate Braun’s mutterings of future plans.


	44. Last Ambrose Standing (Fastlane)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA ‘Fastlane and Burn’, Dean and the Reader’s conflict comes to a head. But when the final moments are in their hands, can they do what is necessary to win their Last Ambrose Standing match? The following Monday an old rival of the roster makes an appearance and a demand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, my matches are only two paragraphs. But then you gotta have dialogue and some plot advancement, and suddenly there’s so much! It reads quick, or it did for me. And it was fun/angsty to write. If you like how things are going, or if this chapter made you cry, comments (anon or not) and kudos are always super appreciated. Enjoy! [P.S.: For the record, I’ve had my WM planned since January. Any similarities to what’s actually happening on Raw is just chance.]

Fastlane – March 10, 2019 – Green Bay, WI

Renee gave the online audience a bright smile. “And welcome to the road to WrestleMania! Fastlane is well underway, and it is almost time for the show to begin. But first, the Raw tag titles contenderships are on the line. Whoever wins this might be going to WrestleMania. It’s a bit of an odd mix going into this match.”

“Yes, it is,” Cole said. “The Revival and the B Team we’ve seen before in big events like this. But how do you think the new team of Dana Brook and Tyler Breeze are going to hold up?”

Corey whined back and forth. “I don’t know. They have both had established places in the WWE, but have been lost in the shuffle for the last several months. I’m curious to see how their plan will work to bring them back into the spotlight.”

“It’s time to see that plan in action,” Renee said as the aforementioned team entered. They received a loud pop from the crowd, though that was drowned out as the B Team, and then the Revival entered the arena.

They each took a corner, bouncing while waiting for the bell. But the stage lit up again. With the entrance of Kevin Owens.

“What!” Corey shouted. “Welcome back, but who is he going to tag with?”

Renee was almost bouncing in her seat. “I think I know who…”

The stage lit up in reds and black as Sami Zayn made his return to the WWE as well. He and Kevin shared a hug, soaking in their welcome from the crowd before going down to the ring. Inside, their opponents were complaining to the referee. But the match was being announced as a fatal four-way for the number one contender spot for the tag titles. Sami and Kevin took the last corner, with Kevin starting the match. He was instantly the target of everyone else in the ring. Sami helped him retreat through the ropes and they backed off, turning on each other.

Tagging in their other halves began. At Breeze’s tag, Dana went after Dawson before he could call in Wilder, and then engaged with Bo Dallas. Sami jumped in, working his way around the ring, knocking partners off the apron so they wouldn’t be available later. Curtis Axel fell the most dramatically. Kevin bided his time, crouching on the floor until Sami needed him. Then they traded while everyone else was exhausted and out. This continued to help them, all the way up to the pin. Sami jumped in, double pinning Bo under the referee’s count.

They celebrated their win, and their continued welcome back as the final preparations for Fastlane wrapped up.

***

Beginning Fastlane with a bang was the Raw Women’s Championship match between defending Ember Moon against Ruby Riott. Depending on who you asked, both women had lost before the bell had rung. Ember had reached her goal of title reign days, but she was still fighting to see how far she could go beyond that. Ruby had suffered losses for the last three weeks, but those losses had ignited enough of a fire that Ember was on the defense. Half-way through the match, both women sprawled out in the ring after a long combination of moves.

“I can’t leave this ring without that title,” Ruby muttered. Ember lifted her head up just enough to catch her eye. “If I can’t… if I can’t win titles, then why am I here?” Ruby wobbled to her hands and knees. “If I can’t… then how can I lead my friends?” She finally made it to her feet, though it looked like a puff of breath could knock her over.

Ember struggled to stand as well and held up her fists. “But what if you can? I’m not just going to give it to you, but you know what you’re fighting for. So fight. Because that’s what I’m here to do. Not for titles or for gold, but for my pride and to hear my name chanted by everyone in this arena. If I’m honest, I don’t think you will leave this ring with the title. I don’t think you have it in you.”

“But what if you’re wrong?” Ruby launched forward with another attack, reinvigorating the match. She pushed and she fought until her lungs burned and Ember’s eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion. With a scream, she threw everything else she had and fell on top of her opponent. One. Two. Three.

“And you’re new Raw Women’s Champion: Ruby Riott!”

Ruby fell to her knees with the title in her hands. She stayed there until Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan appeared by her sides and helped her to her feet where she could hold it high above her head.

***

Ruby stayed ringside for her teammates’ match against Mickie James and Alicia Fox for their tag titles. They moved like a team reborn. Liv’s bright hair caught Alicia in the face, inspiring her to laugh. Sarah mostly engaged with the veteran Mickie, fighting to endure the reserves of years of wrestling and maneuvers that hadn’t seen a ring in ages. Alicia fought back with her repertoire that soon had the Squad on the defense.

Then the mistakes came. Alicia, proud in how flat Sarah was laid in the ring, stepped to the ropes to haggle Ruby instead of going for the pin. Mickie frantically called for a pin or for a tag. But Liv sneaked up behind the teammate and swept her feet out from under her. Alicia heard the cry as she fell and twisted around in time for Sarah to catch her. The bell rang as the Squad retained their titles. As the champion trio, they stood in the ring as three of the most powerful women on the Raw roster.

***

For the number one Intercontinental contendership, Finn Balor and Dolph met in the ring. The palms of Finn’s hands were red, like the demon was desperate to get out but the man wouldn’t let him have full control. That made Dolph warry. One: why would he hold back with so much on the line? And two: how powerful was the man if he could hold back a demon king? He didn’t have much to think about it as Finn attacked. They were caught in a headlock until Dolph was forced back into the ropes. He glared at the ref from between them. Who cares who or what the man was? He was just a man.

The match danced from ring post to ring post along the ropes and round from the floor. Both men were showing how much they wanted even a chance at the title by how much damage they could take and dish out. Finn took it the best. Dolph struggled more and more to get to his feet after each assault. He remained flat on his back after barely kicking out of a pin. Climbing the turnbuckles, Finn went for a Coup de Grace. At the last possible second, Dolph moved, catching Finn in a roll-up. Out of sight of the ref, he used the ropes for a bit of extra leverage. It was enough. He made a hasty exit before Finn could figure out why he’d lost.

Backstage, Charly caught up with Dolph. “Having won your match, how soon do you want to face your former partner for a title match? Will we see it tomorrow, or on the grandest stage of them all at WrestleMania?”

Dolph continued to catch his breath while he thought. “I’m ready when Drew is. Tomorrow. Next week. WrestleMania. Whenever he thinks is his best chance to beat me, let’s go. I will be at my best because I am the best out of anyone on Raw.” He broke off as the champion himself walked up. He was dressed in a suit and had the title resting on his shoulder. Dolph did his best to get into his space and maybe get sweat onto the nice fabric.

“When will I be ready for you? I’d fight you right now, but I want ya after you’ve rested. After you’ve had a good night’s sleep. And then, when ya have ya strength and your full hubris back, I’m going to bury you in that ring. So, I’ll see you tomorrow Dolph. An’ the best man will win again, like I do every time.” He reached up and gave Dolph a heavy double pat on his cheek. “Sleep tight.” He smirked and walked away as Dolph growled after him.

***

Roman watched Dean finish taping up his hands. “You don’t have to go through with this, you know. She’s probably not doing this for the reasons you think.”

“And what would you know about it?” Dean spat. He grit his teeth and twisted his neck. “What you’ve seen from home is just the tip of the iceberg. And besides, she brought it up. I’m just finishing what she’s started.” Dean rolled his shoulders back. “If I had gotten in your way of taking the Universal, would you let Seth or the Usos talk me out of it?”

A long pause was his answer. Nodding, Dean walked away to enter the arena.

You followed shortly after, wearing the gear you’d made for Summer Slam. Really it was the only gear you had. At the same time, you hoped that Dean would see it and realize his cousin was still in it, and not some villain for him to slay.

There wasn’t much room for that hope. Before you’d even made it to the ring, you could see that Dean had his trusty kendo stick quiver wrapped over his shoulder. You entered the ring with only yourself. You had made the choices you did without weapons or premeditated woes. But once that bell rang, you would fight to defend your reasons.

The match happened in three stages. At first, it felt like any other sparring practice when learning with any of your friends-turned-trainers. You even forgot yourself and found a smile spreading across your face and a laugh escaping. Dean’s dimples made an appearance. Then the roar of the crowd brought you back to reality. The match turned real. You tried to win a pin as fast as possible. If you could do that before the very real devices under the ring came out, then maybe you wouldn’t regret this so much.

But the devices did come out. You grabbed a chair to use as a shield when Dean finally began to use his kendo stick. There was also a chain that you used like a whip to rip it out of his hands. Then he followed you into the ring. The chain became your means of keeping Dean away. Or keeping him close in a submission hold.

“Please, Dean,” you tried, “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

He struggled to detangle himself from the chain, effectively taking it from your hands in the process. “Is that an apology?”

“No.”

“Then we’re not done.”

It went on. Your hearts were no longer in it but you fought hard anyway. Dean’s practiced ingenuity was getting the best of you. Bringing in more things from under the ring wasn’t going to work. He’d been a hardcore wrestler; had the scars as proof. So you ended it like how they’d taught you to: find one weakness and target it. Somewhere in the scuffle Dean had developed a limp. You knew Seth would have some pointers, so you aimed for that injury. He couldn’t fight you if he couldn’t stand.

Dean was able to wobble onto his legs one last time. You climbed the turnbuckles, about to spin with your modified punch that Roman helped you with. Dean fell before you could finish setting up. The referee started the count.

“No!” You rushed down and tried to stop him. “I’m the general manager and I said stop!” He paused, looking past you to Dean. You didn’t look back. “Call off the match. It’s done. I lost.” While the shocked referee went to tell the bell box, you left the ring. It announced overhead, making you flinch.

With all of your might, you wanted to walk away without looking. But a tiny shard made you turn. He was staring at you. Not angry. Definitely not broken. Just… staring at you. Through you. It felt like no matter what you did from this moment on, you were damned. “I’m sorry, Dean,” you said, hopefully loud enough for him to believe you. “I’m so, so sorry.”

***

With the Universal Championship on the line, Seth Rollins and Mojo Rawley pulled out all the stops. Even since Monday, Mojo had found a new hold and a quick tackle that kept blindsiding Seth. The King Slayer would manage to kick out, then stand while shaking away the ringing in his ears. They re-met with a quick handshake. Seth dug deep too and borrowed one of Dean’s old submission holds that pinned Mojo’s arms far out of use with his knees. He rocked back and forth. This backfired as Mojo was able to use the moment to roll around and switch the tension. Seth had to release.

The submission holds gave way to the game of endurance. The universe had already seen Seth fight for over an hour multiple times. But Mojo held his own too. If the dream requires you to run from one side of the earth to the other, then you have to train to run around it twice to account for all the unforeseeable hurdles in between. Rawley kept Seth on his toes, knocking him out of the air and knocking out his ability to stand. He took a second to stare at the title resting in the lap of a techie in the bell box. Seth took it to use his remaining functioning limbs to cut Mojo down until he could end the match with a Curb Stomp. The Universal had been retained.

***

* * *

***

Monday Night Raw – March 11, 2019

You couldn’t start Raw without a little housekeeping first. Elias nodded as you continued speaking. “You see, you have to pick your WrestleMania opponent… tonight. I really should have had you pick before Fastlane but-“

“You were busy.”

The heat behind your cheeks simmered as you focused on breathing. “Yeah. Busy. But have you made a decision? That is… you have been thinking about it, right?”

Elias scoffed. “Of course. I’m going to challenge-“

He didn’t get to finish as a large hand grabbed the scruff of his scarf and shirt and tugged him away. Brock Lesnar stepped into his place. Paul Heyman hovered like a grinning shadow. “Good to see you, Ms. Ambrose. I hope you are having a lovely stress-free evening.” Paul somehow grinned wider.

“I was,” you mumbled. “Can I help you guys? Or are you just here to rough up my wrestlers?”

Brock chuckled and looked down to Paul. He took his cue to speak. “We won’t be here long as we’re not staying for the show. But my client, Brock Les-“

“We all know who your client is. Get to the point.”

“My client, Brock Lensar, is just here to ask for his title. And he’s going to ask nicely. This time.” Paul leaned closer to you. “You won’t be able to play him like you’ve been playing everyone here. He won’t be so nice then.” He leaned back with a smirk, posing with a hand crossed over his other wrist.

You switched your attention from Heyman to the Beast Incarnate. “I don’t know why you’re trying to be all dramatic and scary. You haven’t been here since… oh, Summer Slam? As far as I’m concerned, you don’t deserve a return.” The sass slipped from your voice. Your words scorched your throat. “But Vince McMahon called last week. Your match is already set. For WrestleMania. I was just about to inform your opponent.”

Brock smiled and nodded. He turned and walked out of your office with another word. For Elias’s sake, you hoped the drifter wouldn’t want into the Universal title picture.

***

In the ring, Drew McIntyre came to stand dead-center with his Intercontinental title over his shoulder. “We all know what’s planned for tanight. I am the champion. And I am goin’ to walk out of this ring… as champion. It wasn’t goin’ to matter who won at Fastlane, but ya know what? I’m glad it’s Dolph. He’s been impatiently waiting for his chance to get back at me for somethin’ that happened months ago.” Drew chuckled. “Honestly, I was willing to put it all behind me a while ago. But then he kept pushing. And kept gettin’ in the way. Fine. Now is the time of your destruction, Dolph. Now-“

Dolph entered early, saving the crowd from more of the monologue. For a second it looked like he was going to use the mic in his hands, but he dropped it instead. He marched down to the ring, fighting back a grimace as his pace tweaked a new sore spot. It did not go unnoticed.

They met at the bell. Eager to make it a quick match, Drew targeted the areas he knew that Finn had damaged. It didn’t go as quick as he hoped. And Dolph nearly caught him in a Zig Zag several times. But the targeting had done its job. Drew caught him with a Glasgow Kiss and barely had to work to pin him. Laughing he made his way up to the stage, picking up the mic Dolph dropped earlier.

“This is the best of Dolph Ziggler? This is the best of the Raw roster? Who could even think to step to me?” His smirk disappeared as Elias strummed onto the stage. Drew growled as the drifter stopped playing just long enough to poke at the title. Drew snatched it away and reared back for a punch. But Elias was quicker. And he had a longer reach with his guitar in hand. Wood fractured and splintered across the stage. Over Drew’s momentarily damaged body, Elias took up the title. He looked between it and his smashed guitar. Gingerly, he draped it over Drew, then walked away.

***

When the call came in that Dean had interrupted Seth’s entrance, you rushed to the ring. Dean was waiting for you sitting in a lone chair in the ring. “Well, that didn’t take long.”

“Please, can you not do this right now?”

You waved him away and tried to leave for backstage but he stood and leaned forward onto the ropes. “Why not? What’s so important that we can’t discuss what I got out of winning our match yesterday?”

With a huff, you rolled back your shoulders. “I just had to tell Seth before he came out here that his WrestleMania opponent is Brock Lesnar. And I… I really need a break.”

He waved you down to the ring, which you begrudgingly obliged. “One more headache and then you can find a hole to hide in. It seems to be an Ambrose thing. Since you’re handing out championship opportunities, why don’t you add one more person to that match? I think beating the general manager of Raw is pretty-“

“No.” With a grin, Dean stepped back from the ropes as you entered. “You didn’t pin me, and you didn’t make me tap. I surrendered. I surrendered so that I hopefully could put this all to rest. Please, Dean… I didn’t have a choice-“

“Yes, you did. All of us work our asses off to build this business, but the second that… the second that Lesnar wants something, he gets it. No questions asked.” Dean punched the side of his face as his blood began to boil. “But I’m asking questions. No, I’m done with questions. Now it’s time for demands. Put me in the match, Y/N!”

“No! You don’t know what you’re doing, Dean. There are levels of this that you can’t see.”

“What levels?” he spat. “Levels of you hurting my career to protect you from ‘favoritism’? Or of how much of your soul you’ve given to the remnants of the Authority.”

“Stop.” You walked away, but Dean’s voice followed you.

“No, I won’t. And if you don’t do what’s right, and put me in the spot that I deserve, then I am going to fight you. Not in the ring. We’ve already done that and seen what you’re willing to burn. No. I won’t stop usurping your precious plans and using my last breath to destroy the position you built over family.”

“Fine!” You spun around. Eyes flashing, your jaw ached from the tension. You focused on that tension, feeling it colliding with the pain that had settled into your bones over the past months. With a sigh, you accepted that it would probably never go away. It was all a split second, but the oceans of emotions drowned you eons ago. You laced your words with cold, unfeeling ice. “Dean Ambrose, as won by your match at Fastlane, you also have a spot in the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania. And may God forgive me… since you probably never will.”

Seth came rolling into the ring just as you finished. Dean bumped into him as you both turned towards your separate ways. “Why are you so hard on her, man?”

He barked a laugh. “Didn’t you hear her? We had all that destruction last night, and she didn’t change a bit. All of this is still for business. Nothing more. We’re just pawns. We could have been building momentum between us for weeks for another show stopper, but Brock comes in here and just walks into an opportunity.”

Struggling to get in a word, Seth said, “I don’t know. All of this feels weird. Something tells me there are outside forces here. I really think you should just listen to her and-“

“Don’t you have a match to get for?” Dean shot him down.

Seth bit back anything else he had to say. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” Hissing out strained air, Seth let him leave and ran a hand through his hair.

***

As Dean stormed towards backstage, Apollo Crews came out for his match with Seth. He stayed on stage just long enough for your cousin to disappear, then smiled as Titus O’Neil joined him. They walked side-by-side to the ring with Apollo hoping onto the apron and Titus walking around to the back to do the same. Before they could enter the ring, Roman’s entrance took over the system. Battle lines drawn, the match was remade as a tag match.

Seth nodded towards the stage, asking about Dean. Roman shook his head. Backstage with a resolute deaf-to-reason Dean was not the best place to be. Not when he could help elsewhere.

It was like old times. Apollo and Titus seemed to forget their thundercloud-plan to take advantage of Seth. Or at least postponed it to another time when maybe he wouldn’t have backup on hand. Frazzled, the former team of Titus Worldwide struggled to stay afloat. Roman and Seth kept isolating each man, wearing him down so much that even after having a break, he couldn’t do much to relieve his partner. Seth ended up pinning Apollo, with Roman standing over Titus outside the ring where he’d been speared through a barricade.

***

“Now would you look at all this gold?” Ruby slapped the championship around her waist. To either side, Sarah and Liv snickered, adjusting their own titles on their shoulders. “We’ve said it several times, so you all should know by now, but the Riott Squad is the best there is on Monday Night Raw. And Fastlane just proved that once again.” She spun the mic around in her hands, watching the lights flicker over her title. “And this isn’t just for tonight. Or next week. Or just this month. Hell, the plan isn’t even to just ‘survive’ until WrestleMania. No. We are going to run this show, command that woman’s locker, and own these titles until somebody back there decides that they are good enough to even think about contending with us. Anyone back there is welcome to try. But we will run them into the ground, and we will do that every time someone steps to us! Whether it is for the Raw tag titles, or for the Raw women’s championship.” Ruby opened her arms for Liv and Sarah to perch under.

They were still laughing together when they were interrupted. Alexa Bliss walked out with Alicia Fox and Mickie James at her shoulders. Miss Bliss slow clapped until she was standing at the top of the ramp. “Congratulations, Ruby. No, really. That’s great. But your ladies have unfinished business with mine.”

Liv stepped up, accepting Ruby’s mic. “Um, that’s not the way we see it. Because… we beat them last night. Quickly, I might add.”

“No, no. Ruby, honey, you were a distraction to my team last night. And when Alicia was too busy making sure you wouldn’t interfere, your bubblegum haired pixie attacked Mickie James who wasn’t even tagged in at the time.” The ladies in question nodded along. “So I say, we’re not done.”

Ruby’s smile spread to a dangerous level, the kind that was inspired by a master plan. “Okay. Fine. But to ensure that none of us are a distraction to the other, why don’t we just put all the titles on the line. The Riott Squad versus… whatever you call your ragtag group.”

Despite the name-calling, Alexa matched her wicked smirk. “Deal.” She tossed the mic over her shoulder and joined Mickie and Alicia in the run down to the ring.

For the first good while, the sudden appearance of the trio had the Riott Squad scrambling to have a plan. It came back eventually like muscle memory. Having championship gold on the line, especially all of it, was a great motivator. Ruby’s mind worked quickly to move her team around so they could have more than just twenty-four hours as a triumphant team. Alexa misread one of her barked commands and tagged herself in. Sarah instead of Liv jumped into the ring, and Alexa was too deep into the ring to turn back. So she ran forward, half-reforming an attack that fell flat. Like she did onto her back a few seconds later. Ruby and Liv barreled forward to keep Mickie and Alicia from breaking the pin, which ensured the win.

Sarah shoved Alexa out of the ring so that they could all pose again with their retained championships.

***

Kevin and Sami had asked for the last few minutes of Raw to reintroduce themselves to the WWE Universe. You gave it to them easily. So they smiled and laughed, basking in the second welcome of the week. They were just lifting the mics to speak when AOP appeared from the audience and began to circle the ring. On the Titantron, Dr. M appeared from his deserted hospital.

“Did you really think that your shock return would guarantee a new life as a tag team? Kevin… Sami… your betrayal of each other runs deep. It will always be there, like a scar. And no tricks devised by you, or cleared by Y/N can cover them up. Tricks are superficial remedies to deep tissue secrets and doubts.”

Rezar and Akam finished circling the ring and came to stand at the base of the ramp.

“Secrets are the disease of the WWE. And Y/N has stepped into the role of Typhoid Mary. Not to worry… that will soon be cured. As well as the sudden arrival of the pestilence of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The Authors of pain need no tricks, no snake oil to save the tag division.” The men turned their backs and walked back up the ramp as Dr. M finished. “So welcome back. But you will not enjoy your short stay.”


	45. Oncoming Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Braun Strowman knows a secret but Dean won’t listen to him. The women’s division is thrown into a double world of the unknown heading towards WrestleMania.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are still pretty serious, but clouds are beginning to clear. About me: I make up the titles to chapters after I’ve written them. I have no clue why this one has so many storm references, but it works well. Any comments about this series are seriously appreciated. Enjoy!

Monday Night Raw – March 18, 2019

The Shield came out of the garage as one. Then they went their separate ways after sharing a few fist bumps. Dean didn’t make it very far down the hallways before his path was blocked by Braun Strowman. He immediately was on guard. “What do you want?”

“I know.”

Dean tilted his head, only half lowering his fists. “You know what?”

“I know what’s controlling Y/N.”

“Controlling her?” he scoffed. “Nothing’s controlling her. Like she keeps reminding me, all her actions have been her own.”

Braun sighed, though it sounded more like an irritated growl. “I’ve never liked you. But you’re running around without all the facts. I know Y/N’s secret. And you need to hear it.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Dean pushed past him and started taping his hands.

Another storm was brewing on the horizon. Braun could feel it. “Then I’ll tell someone who cares,” he rumbled.

***

The air shivered with the last pause before the show started. It flashed with energy as Seth’s entrance filled the stage and he walked out. He thanked a crew member for a mic one he was in the ring. “Hey, hey, hey. Hello WWE universe!” A bright smile filled his face. “Now, I already know who’s going to be fighting me at WrestleMania. My brother, Dean Ambrose… and the ‘reigning, defending’ Beast of absences, Brock Lesnar.” He had to pause as the crowd booed his second opponent. “Exactly my feelings too. But, the official contract signing isn’t until next week. That’s okay. Means we’ve got tonight.”

He stepped to the ropes closest to the ramp and leaned on them. “I’ve got nothing better to do. And I want to stay sharp going towards the grandest stage of them all. How about a challenge for the Universal? If someone beats me tonight, they get to be my first opponent out of WrestleMania, since I will be walking out as champion. Who wants a chance?” He stepped back and spread his arms, daring anyone to answer.

Again the crowd erupted. Finn Balor walked out onto the stage, grinning ear to ear. He lifted a mic to his lips. “I’ll get my chance either way. I like you better than Brock, but the way I see it, that title is still around the wrong waist.”

Seth cackled. “Then why don’t you get down here and prove it.”

“Gladly.”

Seth tossed away the mic and handed the title to the referee. Once the formalities were through, they set to fighting like two lions over the same pride. They knew each other weaknesses and took turns using them. Close to the end of the match, it looked like Seth tweaked his knee. Finn took advantage but it was a false injury. Seth caught him with a kick to the stomach. When he bounced back off the ropes, Finn twisted him around with a sling blade. Enough air was knocked out of Seth’s lungs that Finn had time to scale the turnbuckles and to fall with a Coup de Grace.

The loss didn’t mean much. Seth laughed it off. He was still going to get his WrestleMania moment, and then he was going to get to fight one of his best friends. Who could be angry about that?

***

In the next match, Ruby Riott had the same idea as Seth. She wanted to stay sharp too. But her opponent wasn’t from the wealth of talent backstage. No, her opponent was a well-known local. And it wasn’t a title match. With no one lined up to face her at WrestleMania, the announce table wondered why she wasn’t bothered or rushed.

“Can you blame her?” Corey asked. “She fought tooth and nail to take the Raw Women’s Championship from Ember. I wouldn’t be in a rush to lose it either.”

Cole updated the at-home listeners. “Ember Moon, of course, lost the title at Fastlane. During the following week, she was injured and could be out for a while. So Ruby is obviously not worried about Ember taking the title back any time soon.”

“Hopefully Ember can come back soon. I have a feeling she’s not happy watching from home as Ruby flaunts her new gold.” Renee flinched as Ruby finished off the local. She’d held out well, but Ruby was ruthless. 

While Ruby celebrated and kicked the woman out of the ring, she missed a hint of pink entering the ring behind her. She looked up at the Titantron too late and took a hit to the back of the head from Alexa Bliss. Soon she was on her knees, then curled on her side. Finally, Alexa stepped back and posed for the crowd. She laughed and mocked them. And she turned around. Ruby had staggered to her feet and came up swinging. Her grip on the title ensured an extra oomph to her strike to Alexa’s face. Miss Bliss went out the side of the ring and retreated to the ramp.

Again, Ruby held up the title. But her face was hard. Determined. Challenging.

***

Muttering under your breath, you shook your head. On the screen, Alexa stomped her foot and exited the arena. “Why can’t we have one clean night? One. Is that too much to ask?” Now you knew why general managers didn’t last long. Too freaking stressful. There wasn’t time to do anything else except shrug away the disgruntled feelings as Sami Zayn and Kevin walked in. You had to smile. “Hi, guys. Good to see you again.”

“It’s good to be back,” Sami said, offering his hand for a shake which you gave.

“What can I help you guys with tonight?”

They shared a look. Kevin ran his hand over his mouth and down his beard. “We would like a tag match.”

You nodded. “Okay.” You spun your hands in a circle around each other. “Who would you like to fight?”

“Anybody,” Sami piped up. “We know AOP is going to show up at some point.”

“If anything, we’re counting on it.”

“Consider it… a chance for some practice shots.”

They’d planned this pretty well. And there wasn’t a reason to tell them no. “Okay, you guys have got a match. Are you okay with being surprised with a team?” Eagerly, they smiled and bobbed their heads. “Great. I’ll inform your opponents. Head to the ring; your match will the next one after who’s in the ring already.”

***

Who was in the ring was Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers. He glared at the crowd booing him. The Singhs tapped at his shoulders and reminded him to breathe. In. Out. Breathing together, they worked themselves into a calm. That calm shattered as Dean’s music hit. In. Out. Faster. In. Out. Calm down.

But it’s impossible to calm down when your adrenaline is hovering between fight and flight.

Any fight with Jinder was technically a three on one handicap. Dean was aware of this, if it hadn’t been the point to begin with. In theory, having to watch your back with multiple people was going to be a mini mimic of the upcoming triple threat. And Seth was still a threat, though a friendly one. For now.

But the theory of watching his own back wasn’t going to plan. Jinder had bulked up. His break from not being scheduled here of late meant he was more rested. And having Sunil and Samir behind him was practiced. Again and again, he caught Dean until a two-count. Dean changed his tactics. He got rid of the Singhs, then borrowed some of his more ‘lunatic’ moves to win. He shook his head as he left. Losing was not a good thing. Not with so much coming up on the line.

***

Arms crossed, and his face grim, Roman listened to what Braun was telling him. “Go on.”

“You were supposed to be in the match,” Braun finished, “instead of Brock. Dean would have lost everything.”

“Why are you telling me?”

“Because the person who wants to use it against her hasn’t held up his end of the bargain. I’ve got my own plans, but I bet you can make him pay. For Y/N’s sake.” Sheepishly, he looked at the ground. “She’s done a lot of good around here. Behind the scenes. Protecting not just us. But also the tech crew and arena folks from guys like me who didn’t consider the damage back here. Her legacy in WWE shouldn’t be her fights with Dean.”

Roman inhaled deeply, then let out the air just as slow. Braun braced for impact. “Thank you,” Roman calmly said. “And thanks for keeping an eye on her. I’ll take it from here.”

They shook hands. Braun gave him one last warning. “Be careful. He’s slippery.” He walked away, leaving Roman to come up with a quick plan.

***

You surprised Kevin and Sami with sending Chad Gable and Bobby Roode out to meet them. At all times, both teams had one person watching the ramp and the back bell-box entrance. If they were bait for Dr. M and AOP, they needed to be ready. Perhaps Gable and Roode watched too much. They didn’t want to get caught in the middle, so they were watching harder in case they needed a quick escape. Kevin kept his eyes up as he pinned Roode.

The champions were a no-show. Sami and Kevin were free to celebrate and shake hands with their opponents. Then the lights went out. When they came back on, the retuned superstars were shaking hands with the champions. A brawl broke out, and their guide laughed from ringside.

Dr. M caught a hint of movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned but it was too late. A Superman punch came sailing out of the air, knocking him to the ground. Roman hefted him to his feet and slammed him against the ring post. Dr. M tried to laugh, but Roman pressed hard at his throat.

“You don’t touch my family! Stay the hell away from them. Especially Y/N. Or I will come for you, your dreds, and whatever dark power makes you tick. I’ve done it before, and I can do it again.”

In the ring, nobody moved. Corey’s words about cutting the tension with a knife died on his tongue before he could get it out. Dr. M’s eyes flickered with something Roman didn’t catch. The team leader began to laugh.

Roman grip relaxed as confusion clouded over him. Then it hit him. By naming you and claiming to be your protector, he’d just put an even bigger target on your back. And his.

“Just like old times, isn’t it Roman,” Dr. M chuckled. “Heart on your sleeve. No matter how much you try to hide it.” He laughed louder, making Roman step away. The laugh turned malicious, triumphant as Roman shuddered with a twinge of regret. And possibly fear. “You have betrayed yourself, Roman.”

Looking left, then right, Roman realized that Akam and Rezar had gotten out of the ring. He was flanked on both sides. Behind him was the bell box, but now was not the time to run. He squared his shoulders. Maybe if he beat them now, Dr. M would leave you alone. He braced as they rushed him.

As Roman was beaten into the floor, the two former victims in the ring shared a look. Sami rolled out one way, and Kevin rolled out the other. The chaos circled around the ring. Dr. M got involved by mostly focusing on keeping Roman down. But stray hits were needed to keep Sami or Kevin at bay. He gave a signal to Akam and Rezar. Instead of working to win back the ring, they left for the ramp. Dr. M. flanked by AOP was an imposing sight. Especially compared to the trio left panting for breath inside the ropes.

***

“Ladies and gentlemen, Elias.”

He looked around the arena, mostly ignoring the mixed response. A few strums later he was insulting the town. Elias ended with a smile. “Well since you guys handled that so well,” he paused as the boos drowned him out. “Since you handled that so well, I’ll bless you with another dose of the salvation that my music brings.”

Bagpipes took over the speakers before he could play another chord. Elias sighed and waited patiently for Drew McIntyre to storm the stage.

“How dare you.” Drew growled. “How dare you attempt to stake your claim on my championship, then come out here like it’s any other Monday. I have built up this title better than you ever did. Challenging me is more than something for any other Monday night.”

“And yet here you are, interrupting my concert like any other WWE superstar who doesn’t appreciate my talent.” Elias stood. “Next you’ll be telling me that I should have challenged Seth instead of you.”

Drew chuckled. “Maybe I should. I’m going to like kicking your arse at WrestleMania, but I’m sure we would have loved to see you tap to Brock Lesnar. Or just cease to move. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen. You challenged me, which makes you my problem. And I am going to enjoy destroying you every week until our match… until you regret challengin’ me at all.”

“Perhaps.” Elias nodded. “But you aren’t going to fight me this week.”

“What?”

“Why would I let you try to fight me tonight? I’ve just had a successful concert and I’m in a good mood. No, I have a better idea for what to do with you.”

Drew jumped and quickly headed down the ramp as Braun Strowman’s roar came through the speakers. By the time he was in the ring, Elias was gone and Braun was onstage. No matter. Even if he couldn’t beat up Elias this week, Braun was plenty of competition. Drew handed his title outside of the ring and rolled back his shoulders. He had to do that several times because Braun’s strikes kept knocking him to one side or the other. Even when he had the upper hand, one knock from Braun easily disrupted it. It took a wild combination of hits punctuated with a Claymore Kick to topple the monster.

Once the title was back in his hands, Drew didn’t stick around to gloat. There wasn’t going to be any gloating until Elias was a broken body on the canvas.

***

“Well look who gets the main event tonight?” Liv Morgan giggled and rested her head on Sarah Logan’s shoulder. “Alexa, honey, I hope you’re watching. You probably noticed, but Ruby isn’t out here with us.” She bounced and shared another laugh with Sarah. “That’s because she’s backstage… looking for you.”

Sarah leaned the mic in her direction. “I hope she finds you.”

“But until then,” Liv sang, “Sarah and I would like to do our duty as champions. We’re issuing an open challenge for the Raw women’s tag team championships.” She twirled her mic. “Any takers back there?”

The Riott Squad joked about being too dominant for anyone to show up, but the stage lit up. Walking slowly, Bayley and Sasha Banks came out to the stage. Then they jogged to the edge of the ramp. Then they were sprinting. A referee slid into the ring as they made it to the bottom, calling for the bell. It rang just as the Boss n’ Hug Connection slid into the ring. For several minutes the teams were locked in a flurry of punches and locks. Liv and Sarah bounced off the canvas as they were thrown into the bottom corner. Sasha bowed and led Bayley to the other one.

Now was not the time to make mistakes. It was time for precise action. The Riott Squad was putting their heart and soul into the match, while also showing off. Sasha and Bayley were making a lot of mistakes. Exhausting ones. They missed strikes, kicks, and couldn’t tag one another quickly enough. Liv laughed first. Sarah had pulled Bayley off the apron and Sasha fell on her face going for the tag. Her pink hair flipped forward as she bent in half in her amusement. Suddenly, there was a boot in her face and movements too quick to counter.

The flummoxing had dried up. While Bayley kept Sarah from re-entering the ring, Sasha held onto the Bank Statement. If Live ever wanted to breathe again, she had no choice. She tapped, awarding the tag titles to the other team.

Both women sunk to their knees in a hug as Bayley slid back into the ring. They helped one another to their feet. Accepting the titles, they linked their arm behind each other’s back and held the white and gold high.

Outside the ring, Liv and Sarah hurried up the ramp. They were irate but attacking the Boss n’ Hug Connection right now wasn’t going to get their titles back. Not tonight. Plans could be formed backstage in a minute. For now, the women settled for escaping the arena.


	46. At the Worst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Secret that’s been keeping Y/N and the Raw roster on edge finally comes to the surface. As threatened, Dean is at risk of losing everything… unless he can fight back one last time.

Despite the ruckus he’d caused in your office, Elias was not available for Drew McIntyre to beat up. Because you hadn’t seen him. Nobody had. As a replacement, you placed Bobby Lashley and Dolph Ziggler in his path for a handicap match.

“That’s smart of Y/N,” Renee noted, “McIntyre practically hates Dolph, and Lashley is a strong challenge. Together they should be able to handle his rage.”

Corey wasn’t so agreeable. “Yeah, smart. I think that Y/N gave Elias too many chances; it’s gone to his head! First, he doesn’t fight last week. Then this week he can’t be found?”

“Well someone who will be found tonight will be Brock Lesnar. As Seth Rollins said last week, tonight is the signing of the contract for their WrestleMania match. All three of our competitors will get to face-off tonight.”

Renee harrumphed. “Debatable. No one’s seen him either.”

Each time Lashley or Dolph switched tags, Drew took a second to breathe. To reset. He was wearing the men down, instead of the other way around. If he could keep this up at WrestleMania, then Elias was going to be in trouble.

Just thinking the name summoned a guitar strum. Drew stumbled in his attack as he heard the guitar and saw Elias circle the ring. Elias wasn’t singing, just strumming, but it was enough to distract Drew from a series of coordinated moves. He roared and shifted his focus back. Calmly, Elias watched as Drew took control of the match again, eventually pinning Lashley.

McIntyre’s knuckles paled with his grip on the ropes as he stared down at Elias. It made his blood boil that Elias wasn’t even bothered to react. As the drifter walked away, Drew swore that he was going to regret every note and strum.

***

Lashley and Ziggler weren’t even out of the ring yet when Sami Zayn came out to the ring. He danced his way down the ramp, then took a mic. “How would you all like to see me put my life on the line?” It wasn’t what everyone thought he was going to say, but they welcomed the thought anyway. “Alrighty then.”

With a smart click of his heels, he turned to face the stage. “I’ve got something to get off my chest. Now I’m an NXT grown wrestler myself, and I’ll be the first to admit that moving up to the main roster isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but when it comes to the ‘Authors of Pain’,” he said with quotation fingers, “I don’t see champions. I see puppets. First Paul Ellering. Then Drake Maverick. And now… Dr. M, whatever that means. So, I’m calling out you, AOP. Not your puppet master. I say that you can’t defend those titles without help. That you are not champions. And that you are cowards that hide behind someone else. That you hide because there are not two strategic brain cells between you-”

He shivered as their music interrupted. But he smiled. Everything was going to plan. They marched to the ring, circling it. They stood on the apron on the opposite side of the ring. Sami’s back was to the stage when the lights went out. When they came back up, Dr. M. was behind him inside the ropes.

“Those are some strong words, Sami,” his voice made Sami whip around. “But I know you meant every word. And I understand. You are a hypocrite. A coward that would never speak your mind out loud without Kevin Owens watching your back.” Slowly, Dr. M turned and faced Kevin Owens, who was just finishing his stealth climb into the ring. Unbothered, he turned back around. “You can lead a man to a hospital, but you can’t force him to medicine. So be it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other patients to see to.” Giving a strong eye to Kevin, he left the ring. He snapped and AOP entered the ring, dragging in a referee.

The match that followed was rough. Akam and Rezar did not appreciate Sami’s opinion of them, nor Kevin’s attempt to attack their manager. At the same time, Kevin and Sami were standing by their proof. Without someone telling them what to do, AOP was stalling before attacks. A lucky hit took Kevin to the canvas, where he was pinned. They left celebrating like NXT days, then slipped back into their more serious mood before leaving the arena.

***

Deep in thought, you weren’t watching where you were going. You collided with something hard and tall. Something that turned out to be a someone.

“No, Seth. I can’t talk about this.” You tried to move past him, but Roman stepped in to block your path too.

“We have to talk about something.” Roman let go of your shoulders, give you range to turn back to Seth.

“Whatever they’ve offered you, it’s not worth it. Trust me.” Seth pleaded with his eyes. You avoided looking at them and focused on anything else in the hallway.

“I didn’t do it for the money or the fame. Your story was lesson enough.” Your voice dropped, weary. “That’s not what they’ve got on me.”

Seth titled your chin up. “What are you talking about? Whatever it is, we can help you.”

“No, you can’t.” Why was it so hard to breath? “It’s my fault and I have to do what I can to work around it.” The statement distracted them enough for you to get by, but Roman caught you again.

He leaned down and did his best to look you in the eye. “Y/N?”

No oxygen. No thoughts. Just the words you didn’t want to say. “It’s a contract. I pitched it to Stephanie and Hunter and thought they liked it. But they added things. Things that would rip Dean apart and-“ You broke away from his grasp. “I can’t talk about this. I’ve said too much already. You’re just going to have to let me be.”

They stayed for a minute while you practically ran down the hallway. Blinded by the boil of emotions, you ran into someone else.

“Y/N, we need to talk.” Baron loomed overhead.

“I can’t. I’m busy.” You hissed as his arm flashed out to block your way.

“Make time. I want a match. Tonight. Now would be good.”

You sighed and looked behind you when you heard footsteps. Roman saw Baron and knew why he was there. He gave you a nod, which didn’t exactly please you, but it got both men out of the way so you could think. “Fine. You and Roman have a match tonight. Now.” You stood still while Baron gloated. He dropped his arm with a chuckle, giving you room to finally escape.

***

Both men weren’t going to give an inch. Even as their energy waned, the crowd was enjoying the display of power. Roman fell into the ropes on one side, trying to catch his breath. As he got back up and looked off into the crowd, Dr. M popped up in front of his face. Startled, he fell back into Baron’s next attack. He quickly recovered but was shaken. Dr. M had disappeared. Eerie laughter came from one corner, though nobody was there.

Baron fell to the canvas. Roman geared up for a spear. Dr. M appeared over his shoulder. Roman saw him on the Titantron and spun around to attack. Baron swooped in as Roman missed with a swing, beating him to the canvas and finally winning the pin. Then he got the hell out of the ring. No need to stick around when Dr. M was doing his thing. Dean and Seth ran by him on the ramp. They circled around Roman’s kneeling form.

With his eerie laugh in full force, Dr. M left the ring. He stood at the base of the ramp. And then he was gone.

Seth and Dean helped Roman to his feet and out of the ring. “Don’t worry about me,” he said, shrugging them off. “You guys have enough to worry about tonight. I haven’t seen him, but if Brock does show up, you need to be focused.”

Seth sighed. “I take that to mean you won’t be at the signing?”

“No.”

“Then what will you be doing?” Dean asked. He read the expression on Roman’s face. And disagreed. “Really?”

“I’m going to be watching Y/N’s back. Same way I watch yours.” He tried to walk on his own but limped up the ramp.

***

Ruby had issued another open challenge. With WrestleMania not even two weeks away, in her eyes, no one was going to be able to take the title from her. She laughed with Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan in the ring while waiting for her opponent. They all froze as “I’m not like most girls,” played through the speakers. Ruby was mostly silent, and she didn’t appreciate her girls’ giggles as they wished her luck.

Their giggles turned to worried hints and tips as Ruby struggled. Nia was taking no prisoners. Several times, the bell box readied to announce a new champion. Each time, Ruby desperately kicked out. The counts got closer and closer to three. Sarah and Liv jumped up onto the apron, ready to spring at a moment’s notice. Nia moved to knock them off. The referee was checking on Ruby, giving the Squad room to attack her without repercussions. Ruby saw her fall and took advantage, retaining her title.

Like a pack of hyenas, the women laughed all the way backstage.

***

Alexa Bliss inched around a corner. She breathed a sigh of relief and proudly took a step forward without looking. She bumped into Ruby, fresh out of her match. “Well hello there, Alexa!” she tried to dart away, but Ruby tossed an arm over her shoulder. “Didn’t Liv and Sarah tell you I was looking for you?”

Alexa gulped. Then disgusted, she removed Ruby’s arm from her shoulder. “Yeah. So?”

“Well, you kept harping on ‘unfinished business’… and I have to agree,” she sighed. “We’re not done. Now I just beat Nia, since you missed it lurking around backstage, and I am still without a match for WrestleMania. And it sucks, but you don’t have one either.” She talked over Alexa’s sputtering. “I know you’re going to be busy hosting, but why don’t we help each other out? I mean, I could always beat you up here and now, or I’ll just destroy you there. But you’ll have a chance. You game?”

As Ruby caught her forearm in a vice-grip, Alexa grimaced and grit her teeth. “What do you have in mind?”

Ruby smiled dangerously. “We have a match next week. Either way, you’re going to WrestleMania. But if I win, I pick the stipulation and you don’t know until the match starts. And if you win… well, I’ll still beat you but at least you’ll have a say in which way. Sound good? Great. See you next week.”

She was off like a shot, leaving Alexa to rub some feeling back into her arm.

***

As the new Raw Women’s tag champions, Bayley and Sasha Banks had a few things to say about the former champions. “They did what they set out to do,” Sasha said. “They brought our new tag titles to the forefront of the business. Last week they had the main event of Raw. They were dominant, beating any team that came their way. And the Riott Squad proved time and time again that the women’s division was something to pay attention to.”

Bayley nodded in agreement. “Having said that, they forgot one little thing. Nothing lasts forever. The women’s division is constantly moving forward. Evolving. Growing stronger and building momentum. Getting better and better. Their time is over. We are the future. We have been through NXT, Smackdown, Raw. The future is now. And it is standing here in this ring.” They held their titles up, then dropped them and fell into a fighting stance.

With their music, Natalya and Rhonda Rousey walked onto the stage. “That may be so,” Natalya said, “but as you said, nothing lasts forever. Prove that you are the so-called best of the business.” She motioned between herself and Rhonda. “You ladies up for a challenge?”

The Boss n’ Hug Connection shared a smile. Sasha nodded. “Sure. Are you?”

During the match that followed, Bayley and Sasha showed off. The high was still real, and they were capable of riding the adrenaline without making too many mistakes. Rhonda and Natalya, on the other hand, were struggling. Both were dominant in the ring. But when it came time to tag or to work together, cracks turned into fissures. One would reach for a tag, and the other would be missing. Then Rhonda was thrown from the ring. It took her eight seconds to wobble back to the ring. At nine seconds, she was reaching for the roes to pull herself up. At ten, she couldn’t get into the ring. Furious, she stepped back, dragging Liv Morgan out from under the ring.

On the other side, Sarah Logan attacked Natalya, knocking her to the ground. The former champions disappeared as quickly as they’d appeared. Thus freed, Natalya and Rhonda met back in the ring while Sasha and Bayley rolled out and watched from the ramp. The two women began to blame one another. Defending themselves truthfully to the Riott Squad’s interference, but neither was listening. The referee pushed them apart before it turned into another brawl. Natalya stomped off, breaking through Sasha and Bayley on her way by.

***

You focused on not letting your anxiety show. The ring had never felt so large an empty. Or so foreboding. It was time to address the WWE universe. “As you all know, in just thirteen days, WrestleMania will finally be here.” Their response made your cheeks twitch with a small smile. “There are one or two spots that haven’t been filled yet, but we’ve still got two weeks. That brings us to tonight. And to a contract signing.” You took a breath to call Seth and Dean to the ring, but Stephanie McMahon and Triple H’s intros interrupted in turn.

They calmly walked down to the ring. Stephanie carried the leather folder in one arm. She sent you a perturbed smile after stepping through the ropes. “Y/N, I found this in your office and figured you might need it. It’s kinda hard to have a contract signing without the contract.”

“Oops,” you halfheartedly gulped.

Hunter stepped into the ring too. You moved to the other side, using the space like an invisible barricade. “I would like to think otherwise, but it almost looks like you don’t want this match to happen as planned. Don’t you think Dean is mad at you enough?”

“Leave him out of this.”

Speak of the devil, Dean’s music sounded. You closed your eyes. This was a bad dream. Seth followed him out to his own music. And he had questions. “So, I noticed a large absence backstage. Care to explain that, Hunter?” He joined Dean on the far side of the ring, forcing you to stand in the middle.

“That’s right, Seth,” he mocked, “Brock Lesnar isn’t here. How observant of you. No, Brock signed the contract already, as witnessed by Paul Heyman. I’ll be signing as your witness.”

You stammered, “witnessed?”

The explanation was handed off to Stephanie. “Well, given the specifics of this match, we need to make sure that the competitors are willing to endure the consequences. And that they are doing this of their own free will.”

“Consequences? Free will?” Dean shared a look with Seth, then looked at you with a growl. “What is she talking about, Y/N?”

“Go on, Y/N, tell them what this is.” Stephanie waved the leather folder in her hand. Then handed it to you. Hunter stood behind her, daring you to rebel.

You swallowed. Hard.

“It’s a contract. For a triple threat match at WrestleMania for the Universal Championship.” The crowd initially cheered, but it faded into confusion. “You two against Brock Lesnar, and against each other.”

Dean and Seth shared a look. Seth shrugged. “So? This sounds like another one of your great ideas.”

“It was.” If you could keep your breathing even for a few more minutes, maybe you wouldn’t stutter. “When I pitched it to management,” you gestured towards Stephanie and Hunter, “it was a normal match with room for a no disqualification clause. But they… it developed into more. Another clause was added.” You licked your lips desperately.

“Keep going, Y/N. You’re just now getting to the best part.” Hunter stepped closer and patted you on the shoulder to encourage you. It did nothing but make you shiver.

“As the contracts stands, whoever loses the match has to leave WWE. Forever.” The crowd gasped, though Dean and Seth were still confused. “It’s not just whoever gets pinned, which was the original idea. It’s both of the competitors who lose.” The words began to pour out. “This means, Dean, that even if you pin Lesnar, Seth would have to leave too. Or you would if he pins Lesnar. Or both of you. The original plan was to create an opening to finally get rid of the Beast. I thought… I knew between the two of you that you could beat him. I thought…” you turned back to look at the Authority. “I thought I was doing what… what was best for business.”

Stephanie barked out a laugh. “What’s best for business? Brock Lesnar is one of our biggest assets. Why would we ever give you a chance to ruin that for WWE?”

“You guys are wasting your money to pay him to do nothing. Lesnar is not a champion. He may have had the title and the crown, but like an absent king, everybody knows where the real power lies. In the people.” Rage boiled in your veins. “Dean and Seth are some of the best here. They just don’t grovel at your feet like you’d like them too.” The word hung in the air, freezing over under Hunter’s scrutiny.

Stephanie stepped closer. “No matter how many times you use that argument, Y/N, it’s not going to change anything. Now. Seth. Dean. The contract?”

You jumped as Dean placed his hand on your shoulder.

“It’s okay, Y/N,” he whispered.

“Please,” you shook your head, mic at your side, “don’t do this. It’s a trap. Please, no.” Your shoulders slumped as he kissed the top of your head and took the contract out of your hands.

Hunter smirked as Dean twiddled with the pen. Dean looked back, asking Seth if he was in it too. Seth accepted the pen as his answer, signing after looking at Dean’s signature. You covered your face and rubbed your temples, missing any silent conversation they exchanged. Seth handed the contract back to Hunter to finalize.

“See,” Hunter said, signing blindly, “that wasn’t so hard.” He took Stephanie by the arm and gave you the contract on their way out of the ring. You glanced at the signatures, resigned to hate that you had just-

Wait.

You looked up at Dean, who was smirking. Seth too.

“Mr. Helmsley?” Your voice caught in your throat for a second. “Are you sure you want this contract to go through?” Hunter stared you down as you fought not smiling. “You see…um. You signed the wrong line. You signed as one of the competitors.” A laugh escaped you. This had just gotten interesting. “As this contract states,” you flipped back a page, “any wrestler who competes under this contract and loses must leave the World Wrestling Entertainment company forever. If you beat Seth, who signed in the right place, Brock would have to leave and you…” you shrugged. “The lawyers could read through this and double check how much of this would apply to you, but at the base understanding, you would not be able to wrestle again. No more WrestleMania moments, no more inserting yourself into matches. And, at the worst, you would also have to leave the administration.”

Behind your smile, it felt like your whole being was glowing. You held the folder out to him.

“I may make the matches, but you still outrank me. You can dissolve this contract.”

Hunter snatched the folder away and looked closely at the signature and the clause he added. He pulled it out of the folder, flipping through and scanning for any way out. The crowd was deathly silent as he considered all angles.

They went wild as he tore the contract in half.

“We’re not done, Y/N,” he said, pointing at you.

“I understand, sir.” The threat could not defeat the proud smile on your face. Or the matching ones on Dean and Seth. Dean picked you up and spun you around once they were gone. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to get you into this mess.”

He ruffled your hair, despite your protest. “What else is family for?” He lightly tapped his fist against your cheek. “Can I get a match next week?”

“Against whom and how many?”


	47. Resigning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After last week’s contract catastrophe, it’s time for another round. People make the last of their plans for WrestleMania 35.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness. Some of the stuff in this chapter I wrote three months ago. It’s such a weird (sentimental/hesitant) feeling to finally see them in place. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and series with comments and kudos. Enjoy!

The show was almost complete. In each hall, there were bustles of activity. You looked through the papers on your clipboard and smirked. Knowing your crew, the last few spots would fill themselves. The pen clicked in your hand as you were about to make a note when the lights flickered. Odd, you thought, observing the ceiling. When you looked back down at your work, you saw something move. You jumped back with a gasp as Dr. M stepped into view in front of you.

“Miss Ambrose.”

You stuttered through a breath. “Dr. M. Is there something I can help you with?”

He chuckled and circled to your other side. “Not really. Instead, I have a diagnosis to share with you.”

The pen clicked again, and you slid it out of the way. Crossing your hands over one another, you gulped. “Oh? Are any of my superstars in danger?”

“Yes, of course,” he tutted. “All of them. And you have put them there. You are blind, miss Ambrose.” He stepped closer, making you take a step back. “It has led us to here, Monday Night Raw in ruin and wrestlers ready to rip each other limb from limb. Because you couldn’t see past the fault that you built yourself, in a flip of things, the only title being talked about is the Universal. The one your cousin is fighting for on Sunday. The Intercontinental, the women’s championship and tag titles, and AOP’s tag titles are an afterthought. You should never have become manager.”

Your back hit a wall as he stepped forward again. There was nowhere to go with his arm to one side and a steel trellis to the other.

“Too young and inexperienced. That’s my diagnosis. Hunter and Stephanie knew a puppet when they saw one. And in turn, you have played and pulled the heartstrings of the athletes of this company to direct them to your whim. To the whim of the ghost of the Authority. Because of it, you almost lost the one person you were trying to protect. You might lose him still.”

“Stop.”

He grinned, knowing he’d won. “You can’t refuse the medicine when it’s the truth.”

Panting, you shoved him away. He lunged forward to say more but was speared out of sight. Through your fingers, you saw Roman beating him into the floor. Dr. M eventually worked his way free. He ran off, giving you a smug glance over Roman’s shoulder.

The Big Dog turned to you. “Are you okay?”

You couldn’t answer. Not at first. “Why are you protecting me? I don’t really deserve it.”

Roman tightened his wrist guard. “If I’ve learned anything about working with an Ambrose… miscommunication isn’t a sin. It means that he needed someone to watch his back for people wanting to kick him when he’s down. I’m just extending the favor.” He sighed, lightly placing a hand on your shoulder and guiding you to sit on a crate. “I see what you were trying to do. I don’t approve… but I see it. I see you. Protecting your family in the only way you thought you could. Dean’ll be fine on Sunday. He’ll have Seth. Either one of ‘em could kick Lesnar’s ass by himself. Between the two of them, Lesnar doesn’t stand a chance.”

“I’m not so sure,” you muttered. “I still haven’t seen what the rewritten contract look likes. He could still lose everything. And I-”

Just then, Dean and Seth walked up. You cousin plopped down next to you, missing how fake your smile was. “So… when I asked about a match last week, you said something along the lines of ‘who and how many?’ Is that still on the table?”

“Yep,” Roman answered for you. “You guys up for a tag match versus Dr. Wyatt and his protégés, Authors of Pain?” He grinned as Dean and Seth agreed. He turned his attention to you. “We just hadn’t figured out when.”

You had to chuckle. Give the guys a match and all was right with the world. WrestleMania wasn’t until Sunday, and the contract to be signed wasn’t a bubble of worry. “Give me time to alert your opponents, it’s tonight.”

“Great!” Dean slung his arm over your shoulders and beamed up at Seth. “My favorite time for a match.” He bumped his head against yours.

***

There would be a couple of matches before theirs, though. Up first was the tag-team battle royal to find out the first opponents of whoever won the titles at WrestleMania.

“I don’t know what Dr. M was talking about,” Renee said, watching the teams as the bell rang, “look at this match Y/N set up.” She nodded as Michael Cole rattled off the team names: Ascension, B-Team, Gable and Roode, Heavy Machinery, Lucha House Party (with Kalisto on the floor), Slater and Rhyno, Titus World Wide, and one more. “Do Tyler Breeze and Dana Brooke have a name for their team yet?”

“If they did, Cole would have said it,” Corey suggested.

As teams were eliminated (by one member getting thrown over the top rope to the floor) the competition was whittled down to a surprising few. Lince Dorado dodged and tossed out Tucker Knight, eliminating Heavy machinery and bringing it down to his team against Slater and Rhyno, and the team of Breeze and Brooke. Dana matched the luchador flip for flip, cartwheeling him into a corner. With Slater’s help, they threw him over. Breeze drop-kicked Rhyno, guffawing that it hadn’t made the man budge. It took Dana knocking Slater to the canvas and helping Breeze to do the same to Rhyno to give them enough edge to eliminate them both.

They jumped and cheered. Come even as soon as the Monday after WrestleMania, Tyler Breeze and Dana Brooke were going to have a tag title chance.

***

Drew McIntyre waited impatiently for his opponent. On social media, he’d called out Elias to meet him in the ring like a man. When Baron Corbin’s music hit instead, Drew gripped the top rope like it was the last strand of is sanity.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Drew,” Baron drawled, “but no one has seen heads or guitar of your WrestleMania opponent.” He grinned. “The way I see it, you can’t go into WrestleMania without a match. Blindly or otherwise. The Intercontinental deserves to be represented.”

“Get to the point,” Drew growled without a mic. He stood to his full height.

Taking big clomping steps, Baron made his way down the ramp. “I can solve both problems. How about this? We have a match tonight since Elias hasn’t shown up. When I beat you, I get to replace him in Sunday’s match. You get to defend your title. I get to take it from you. And nobody has to listen to that awful guitar. Everybody’s happy.” He stopped at the bottom, giving Drew a shrug.

Drew nodded, motioning for the referee to ring the bell. The match was on. With everything in place, the lone wolf was set on adding another title to his wall. And Drew was suffering the consequences of the drive. Baron sucker punched him, instantly regretting it as Drew turned to face him like nothing had happened. The match switched. Maybe not having a match at WrestleMania wasn’t such a bad idea. More secure. But he didn’t doubt Elias would show up then; he wouldn’t miss his greatest concert.

Maybe if Drew hadn’t been thinking about Sunday so early, he would have heard the swell from the crowd before the guitar cracked over his back. The match disqualified, Elias beat a hasty retreat. Baron followed him as far as the ropes, kicking Baron to the side.

“I hope you bring that guitar on Sunday,” he shouted. “You’re going to need it. Sanctioned or not, our match just became a no disqualification match. And you’re going to be stuck in the ring with me!”

Elias simply grinned. “Why not make it an extreme rules match? Go all the way for the grandest stage of them all?”

***

Finally, it was time for the match Roman technically set up. He and Dean and Seth marched down to the ring, ready for battle. Dr. M flanked by Akam and Rezar took his own sweet time getting to the ring. You groaned, watching a backstage screen. There was a schedule to keep!

The match went quickly though. Frequent tags. Flash pairings of opponents. But a pattern emerged. Dr. M wasn’t using most of his attention on Roman like you thought he would. It was still there, but mostly he wanted to fight Dean. He pinned your cousin to a ring post from the floor while the ref was occupied with the other four.

“She’s going to lose you. And be all alone again. Just like when you abandoned her the first time.”

“I didn’t abandon her!”

“Yes, you did. You didn’t fight hard enough. How can you fight hard enough on Sunday with your brother’s career on the line? You’re going to have to choose, Dean. Seth or Y/N. And I can bet which one it won’t be.”

“You son of a-“

That caught Seth’s attention, and he left Roman to knock Akam out of the ring and almost pin Rezar. By the time your team was reunified, Dr. M was back in his corner, reaching for a tag like nothing had happened. He circled inside the ring with Roman, muttering other worst case scenarios. “Hard to protect your family, isn’t it Roman? Hard to see the infection of power from the inside. It’s almost like you’ve lost your edge, if you ever had it. What will you do if you lose both of them on Sunday? With Seth and Dean gone, I doubt there’ll be any fight left.”

He caught a Superman punch for his troubles. And then a three count.

Backstage, you listened to a techie, the blood rushing from your face. You hurried towards the ring.

Akam and Rezar helped Dr. M escape the ring. He laughed. Dean looked conflicted. Roman looked defeated. And Seth looked angry to the point of unstable.

He was gone by the time you made it to the stage. You froze in your steps as Triple H’s music followed you. The hand that landed on your shoulder was uniquely heavy. And you resented it already. Hunter followed you into the ring, tossing you a mic from his jacket pocket. The guys went for some as well, trying to catch their breaths.

Seth gained control of his heaving first. “Of course you would come out here right after a match. It’s your way,” he said, looking at Hunter.

“If you guys know what’s good for you, you’ll leave this ring. And you can resign the contract backstage.”

Roman shook his head. “We’re not leaving. And we’re especially not leaving you out here with her.” Seth and Dean nodded. Their stances shifted. Ready for another fight.

You were half a step away from being frantic. “Dean, you need to get out of the ring. Now.”

“Why? Do I ruin his perfectly crafted plans by being here? In the place I earned?” Dean smiled at Hunter and stepped to him, pushing you behind him. “Didn’t train this one as well as you did the last one, did ya? She’s got too good a heart. Guess that’s what happens when you take the best of us and try to twist them to your plans, Trips. You fail. You’ll always fail. And Vince’s command over this company will always overshadow yours. You’ll never be good enough for him.” He twisted as Hunter punched him in the jaw.

It took Roman and Seth to keep you from rushing forward.

Your cousin waved you away. “Don’t worry. He’s hit me harder than that. Just a warning shot. Or evidence that the Game is going soft.”

Panic made your voice crack. “Please. Dean. If I can only help one of your tonight, it’s going to be you. Sorry, guys.” Seth sent you a sympathetic nod. “You don’t have much time.”

Hunter chuckled. “You never had time. And now, because of what you chose, you’ll never have it.”

He’d ripped your heart from your chest. And it was all your fault. You sucked in a breath. The music that followed knocked it back out.

The Beast had arrived.

He marched down the ramp with Paul Heyman in tow. At the bottom, he paused just long enough to give the booing audience a smug smile. As they entered the ring, Hunter went to the other side and called for the contract. Seeing the leather folder made you sick to your stomach.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman.” He smirked while all of you except Brock, even Hunter, cringed to hear him speak. “And I am the advocate for the Beast Incarnate, the former Universal Champion, the destroyer of each man standing opposite here, Brock Lesnar!” He gave you a little wave. “And the bane of Y/N Ambrose’s existence. Not the most important accolade, but a fun one, none the less.”

You stuck your arm out to keep Dean from taking Heyman out right then.

Tapping the folder with a pen, Hunter moved to stand between everyone. “Since the events of last week, the contract has changed, returning to Y/N’s original plan. Only the competitor pinned will have to leave WWE. For good. Now, we really need to make sure we all sign on the proper lines this time. I’d hate to have to cancel this match because of a technicality. Especially since some of you,” he looked pointedly at Dean, “went through so much to get here.”

“Heh, and some so little,” Roman chuckled, nodding at Lesnar.

“Roman, this does not concern you.” Hunter flipped open the folder and passed the pen to Lesnar. Once he had signed, he passed the folder to Dean, hesitating with the pen. It was snatched out of his hand. Dean made a point of making sure Hunter could see where he was signing, and Seth did the same. Then he turned to you. “You should do the honors of signing as witness. It was your idea after all.”

Again, the pen was snatched out of his hand. But you hesitated to sign. Putting pen to paper felt like hammering a nail into a coffin. By signing that sheet of paper, you possibly condemned Dean in one way or the other at WrestleMania. Possibly. You hung onto that word as you handed the folder back to Hunter. “Satisfied?” You held your breath while he checked it.

Wrapping his arm around your shoulder, he nodded. Hunter led you out of the ring, with Heyman sitting on the ropes so you could get through. It wasn’t until you were on the floor that you realized that only the three of you had left. You turned. Brock was staring down Roman, Seth, and Dean. Hunter caught hold of your shoulder again before you could take a step.

“Let it happen,” he warned.

So you had to watch. Roman acted first, immediately jumping with a Superman punch. Brock took it, then caught Roman and flipped him with a suplex. Quickly, he knocked Dean out of the way and did the same to Seth. He returned to Dean when he was finally on his feet. Together, they tried to stand up to rally a combined attack, but Lesnar didn’t give them that chance. He took turns attacking them individually until each man was unable to move. Lesnar turned from Seth’s body. Before he could step towards his next target, you wretched yourself away from Hunter and slid into the ring. The Beast paused when you suddenly appeared before him, blocking his path to Dean.

On the canvas, Dean tried to get up. His arms gave out.

You flinched as Lesnar laughed. He poked at your shoulder. Over your head, he saw Dean growl. “You’ve got some balls, little girl. But you’ll know better than to stand in my way after Sunday. After I rip apart your family.” He snorted. But he left, jerking his head to make Paul Heyman follow. Hunter smirked at you and followed them. But not before motioning to the carnage around you.

If you were to ever get one wish, it would have been to end that moment like the end of Summer Slam. The Shield standing tall and behind you. Instead, time ticked on and the show had to go on.

***

Backstage, Curt Hawkins was bouncing on his toes. His friend and former teammate, Zack Ryder, watched from his bench seat. “What are you doing?”

“Warming up my muscles.”

Zack slowly nodded. “Okay. What for? Neither of us has a match tonight.”

“Just because we don’t have a match doesn’t mean we can’t make something of tonight. Getting the blood pumping in my body is going to help me think while we plan for the Andre the Giant Battle Royal.”

Jumping to his feet, Zack did his best to catch his bouncing friend. “Wait. Hold up. You’re entering the battle royal? Since whe-“

Curt stopped jumping long enough to catch Zack’s shoulders. “We both are. If we work together, we have better odds of making it to the final two. I can promise you now, I won’t eliminate you until then… if you promise the same to me?” He held out his hand.

Zack looked at the outstretched hand, tilting his head to do so. With a sigh that morphed into a smile, he took it. “Deal. Until then, what do we do?” He yelped as Curt abruptly made him sit down. Enraptured, he listened as the first bits of a jangled plan was laid out.

***

The stage lit up in flashing purple, then in bright neon as Sasha Banks and Bayley entered the arena. They hurried to the stage, excited to make their announcement. Sasha spoke into her mic first.

“Another week as champions, and I still can’t believe it.” She stroked at the white and gold around her waist. The lump in her throat was too much, so she nodded at Bayley.

She wasn’t doing my better in checking her emotions, and her voice cracked. “It’s bee a long hard road. Not just for us, but for the women’s division. Last week we said that the Riott Squad accomplished what they set out to do. They defended the titles often and well, and they brought them to the forefront of the company. This may be only our second week holding these championships, but we don’t want them not to be defended on the grandest stage of them all.”

Now that the conversation was back to business, Sasha had control of her voice again. She nudged shoulders with her partner. “At the moment, we don’t have just one team that stands out above everyone else. So, if we could please have all of the women’s tag teams come out here, we have a proposition for you.”

It didn’t take long for the groups to file out. Alexa Bliss came out too to stand with Mickie James and Alicia Fox. Nia Jax and Tamina dominated one side of the stage. The Riott Squad commanded the other. As for the tea of Natalya Hart and Rhonda Rousey… they stood on opposite sides of the stage. Something all the woman noticed and averted their eyes from.

“It would be easy to give all the teams a chance at these titles,” Sasha smirked. “But we have to admit, that doesn’t really give a lot of a chance to Bayley and I. We don’t have to be the ones pinned, we don’t even have to be in the ring. And that’s not right. So instead, we’re going to leave it up to you.”

“Next week,” Bayley said, “we don’t really care you come to the decision, but only one team is going to face us at WrestleMania. Only one team is going to get their moment.”

Sasha cocked her head. “And nothing is official until that bell rings. Best of luck to you all. We’ll be ready for whoever steps up.” She unhooked her belt, with Bayley mirroring her. They held the championships up, showing them off to a whole stage full of possible opponents.

***

Corey did not approve as the women filed out of the arena. “That’s just like Sasha. So manipulative. And she’s sunk Bayley with her.”

“I think it’s smart,” Renee offered. “The Boss n’ Hug Connection can focus on retaining their titles, while everyone else will have to watch their backs until it’s time to enter the arena. Or even the ring. I guess getting attacked last minute on the stage is still possible too.”

“But that’s still not till next week.” Michael Cole did his best to pull them to the present match. “This week, Ruby Riott will be defending her time at WrestleMania. If she beats Alexa Bliss tonight, she can relax and back up her squad. If she loses, she will have to face Little Miss Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship.”

The women came out one by one; first Alexa, then Ruby. As the match started, it was obvious that Ruby’s plan was to toy with Alexa as much as she could. She tested her height and her patience. Two things that bothered Alexa, but only one that she could control. Ruby snickered as Alexa huffed. Then she winced, doubling in pain as Miss Bliss hurdled into her attack.

It was getting close to end the show and both women were exhausted. Alexa was stumbling around on wobbly feet. Ruby was still smugly smiling, but it was drawn and overly forced. It was time for the plan. She knocked Alexa down to the canvas, hard. The referee counted to two while the bottom woman was trying to get her breath back. Then Ruby pulled Alexa up. Ending the count. Alexa’s head bounced off the canvas as Ruby let her go. Confused, both the official and Alexa twisted to watch Ruby leave the ring.

The referee began to count to ten.

Ruby continued up the ramp, walking backward. She gave Alexa a little wave as the count ended, also ending the match. While the championship couldn’t be won by count-out, ruby ensured her WrestleMania moment with one. And she ensured that neither woman was leaving the ring until she couldn’t kick out, or until she admitted being the lesser woman and submitting. Realizing this, Alexa growled. Brilliant strategy, but she hated that she hadn’t thought to use it first.


	48. WrestleMania

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The road is at an end. And for one wrestler, so is their career. But first, the rest of the roster get their chances to reach for glory. Titles are destined to change hands, but which ones?

WrestleMania – April 7, 2019 – Brooklyn, NY

“We have finally arrived at the end of the road. Tonight is WrestleMania!” The crowd was abuzz. Chants for favorites, and the usual random ones, sounded off every few minutes. Most of the seats were filled already because no one wanted to miss a second of the show of the year.

The announce team was preparing for interviews when Charly focused on listening closely to her headset. “Um, guys, we need to break to something going on backstage.”

Camera crew members hurried to catch up to the chaos erupting backstage. Tamina had caught Sarah Logan alone. Pinned into a corner, Sarah had nowhere to go and nothing to do except to receive the attack. Referees rushed onto the scene to break them apart. Just as Tamina was made to walk away, another fight broke out further down the hall.

This time it was Alicia Fox taking her skills to Liv Morgan, who was being held back by Ruby Riott. “Let me go,” Alicia shouted. “I’m not done with her! Viva la Alicia and Mickie!” She was still being dragged away when the cameras flipped back to the pre-show table.

Newly arrived, Bayley and Sasha Banks were snickering at the destruction. David Otunga was flabbergasted. “You don’t seem surprised to see all this. Care to explain?”

Sasha giggled and shared a look with her tag partner. “Of course we aren’t surprised. If anything, that was the plan. Our title match tonight is an open challenge. But we,” she motioned between herself and Bayley, “won’t know who it is until the bell rings. Anybody could challenge us up to that moment.”

“You see,” Bayley added, “it’s no secret that Sasha and I haven’t always gotten along. All this year we have done our best to rip each other to shreds to find out who is the better woman. We put that aside so we could win the first ever Raw Women’s Tag Team Championships, and we’re not letting them go until the rest of the locker room shows us what, or who, they’re willing to rip apart to take these from us.”

With a nod, Sasha agreed. Sorta. “Not that it’s going to happen tonight, or any time soon. If any of those ladies think they can take our championships away on the grandest stage of them all, they’ve got another thing coming.”

The champions left, leaving the announce team to hurry and get their pre-show opinions in order.

***

The first official match was the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. All of the participating wrestlers were in the ring, and at the bell, they each found an opponent. Several men flipped over the ropes, and a couple under them. It took about forty-five minutes to make it down to the final five. It was Mojo Rawley, EC3, Jeff Hardy, R-Truth, and Cesaro.

After a few more minutes, it was down to Mojo and Cesaro. The Swiss Cyborg was just going over the ropes when the missing wrestlers appeared from under the ring. The rough hype came to a standstill as he recognized his old partner and the man with the longest losing streak. Zack Ryder kept a close eye on him as Curt Hawkins followed him into the ring. It was two versus one, but Mojo succeeded in throwing both of them off. He tossed Hawkins through the ropes and set to tipping Ryder over the top. Struggling, Ryder was able to wriggle onto the apron.

Curt rolled backing into the ring, restarting the fight. It was Mojo who ended up going over the topes, but he took Ryder with him, despite Curt’s death-grip on his friend’s wrist. Mojo had a grip around Ryder’s waist. If Ryder fell, he fell. And Hawkins was the only lifeline. The duo started to slip backward, Hawkins’s grip failing. Zack smiled. “It’s all you, man.” Then he let go.

The bell rang. Rawley and Rider had been eliminated, and Curt Hawkins had won the battle royal. And, he had ended his streak.

***

Behind you on a screen, Ryder was celebrating with Hawkins in the ring. You were too busy arguing with a flurry of women to watch it. “Ladies, enough! There isn’t time to add another preshow match. As much as I hate that you are fighting backstage, I can’t give you a tornado tag match. Bayley and Sasha’s opponents will just have to bide their time and strike when they can. Whoever they are. Now please, I’ve got things to do.”

Begrudgingly, the women left your office. You were rubbing your temples when there was a hesitant knock at your door. “I thought I made myself clear- oh.” Large hands gripped your shoulders, working out the stressed kinks. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“Only if we get caught,” Sheamus chuckled. He succeeded in wrapping his arms around you before kissing the top of your head. It was enough to help you release a long, deep breath. Suddenly his touch was gone.

“Can I have a moment with my cousin?” Dean asked, calmly staring Sheamus down from the doorway. After your red-head gave you a reassuring pat between your shoulder blades, the men sidestepped each other.

Hey, Dean,” you whispered.

He stepped in rubbing the back of his head. “Hey, Ladybug. I know you’re busy, but I need to get something off my chest.”

“Go for it.” Easy to say. The tightness of your chest claimed otherwise.

He nodded. “I get it. I understand. And I’m sorry for the ride through hell to get there.” His hand shot up to stop you from putting yourself down again. “It was an impossible choice. Either Roman and I were going to lose Seth again, or I was going to have to give up… everything. I mean, we just got him back. And I just got you back… and there was nothing you could do.” Dean set his shoulders, but his eyes couldn’t meet yours. “I should have been willing to listen. Then maybe we could have found a way to avoid all this.”

You were on the verge of tears. He booped your nose, forcing you to smile. “Roman keeps telling me I have nothing to worry about.” You wiped away a tear. “And I have complete faith in both of you-“

“But?”

“But Brock is dangerous. Past the stupid stipulations. He’s… just about everybody ends up bloody or worse-“

“And I’m prepared for that.” He rested his hand lightly on your shoulder. “I’ve been preparing for a lot of things, actually.” His voice dropped out. Neither of you wanted to point out the two worst case scenarios again. “That was all I needed to say. Keep up the managing thing. You’re good at it… and I couldn’t be prouder of you.” He let you catch him in a tight hug, stroking the top of your head. Then he wrenched himself free and rushed out of your office.

***

The women’s battle royal was just as dramatic, if not more so, than the guys’. Of the final five, two women took the center of the ring. Zelina Vega, Asuka, and Nikki Cross huddled in corners, waiting to see what would happen. Natalya and Rhonda stared each other down. Not six months ago they were the best of friends, battling for the same goals but with handshakes after every altercation. Now they were cold. Unmoved by each other’s goals or aspirations.

They set to punches and head blows that rocked the ring. Unfortunately, in their haste and determination to eliminate one another, both women ended up landing on the apron after twisting over the ropes. Then the other three women sprang into action. It took all of them to launch the women off onto the floor. Thus, eliminating them both. Then Nikki and Asuka set on knocking each other out of the match. Zelina came bouncing off the ropes, succeeding in twisting Nikki over the top.

Now it was down to two. Zelina rushed not to lose her momentum. Bu Asuka wasn’t going to make it easy. Twice, three times one of them would stumble through the ropes. The Empress of tomorrow did everything she could to take the victory today. They both ended up on the apron. Taking a risk, Zelina jumped and grabbed hold of Asuka’s head, dropping with it. Asuka’s face bounced off the edge, and her body followed. Zelina fell back into the ring, running her hands through her hair. She’d won. After the referee raised her hand, she left the ring and stood by the trophy. Her trophy.

***

Roman marched down to the ring. He paced from ropes to rope like a caged lion, ignoring the continued mixed welcome from the crowd. When the lights finally dimmed for Dr. M’s entrance, he kneeled in one corner with his back against the turnbuckles. Dr. M grinned and eventually met him, standing toe to toe. Even though Roman towered over him, the trepidation in Roman’s eyes made the doctor smug. And gave him an edge.

Not waiting for the bell, Dr. M rushed forward. He caught Roman unawares, knocking him to the canvas. The rain of punches and kicks didn’t stop until Dr. M stepped back. He laughed. “You aren’t ready to defend yourself. How could you ever think you could keep me from healing the WWE? From healing Y/N?” His smile flickered away as Roman struggled to his feet.

They went at it again. Dr. M still had the upper hand, despite Roman’s mostly effective offense. His prior attacks had created several openings for future hits. Roman’s ribs and throat were easy targets. If he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t fight. And he wouldn’t win. But Dr. M had forgotten one very important thing.

No one messes with his family.

“You know, Roman,” Dr. M said into his ear while controlling him with a headlock, “Y/N really is such a perfect puppet for Hunter and Stephanie. Maybe they won’t mind if Sister Abigail borrows her vessel for a while, hmm. And why not bring Dean into the family too? I’d hate to break them apart again. Though I would have to break through their fevers by any means necessary.”

With a roar, Roman broke free and headbutted Dr. M. The man staggered back, fighting to shake free the blurriness in his vision. By the time it was back, so was Roman with a spear. Dr. M groaned and gasped as Roman walked away and gripped the top rope. The tape whined under his grip, and the referee took several steps back. Dr. M was eventually back on his feet. He dodged the first spear, but the second after Roman bounced off the far ropes. One, two, and three seconds later Dr. M was nowhere close to getting back up. Roman gave him an extra series of kicks to get him out of the ring, then swayed on his feet. He left the arena as the rest of WrestleMania started.

***

* * *

***

“Ladies and gentlemen, Elias.”

Inside the circle of light, Elias strummed his guitar. The crowd was deathly silent until he finished, then they started the ‘walk with Elias’ chant. He smiled at them. “It’s great to finally be recognized at the greatest concert of them all. Even if the arena is filled with disgusting rabble like you.” He waited for their shift in mood to die down a little before playing his song. It was dedicated to the dirt people of Brooklyn, punctuated with the occasional jab at Drew McIntyre. He was met with thunderous applause as he finished. “Finally. No interruptions.” He strummed to start another song, but he’d spoken too soon.

Soon enough, Drew was in the ring, dark and foreboding. He handed the Intercontinental title to the referee, glaring at Elias while the title match was announced. Elias only let go of his guitar long enough to get rid of his mic and his scarves. Once the bell rang, the instrument whistled through the air, just barely missing Drew’s head. The champion slid out of the ring to quickly arm himself. Steel chairs, tables, and another guitar hidden in the bell box (after the first one was broken) came into play. The ring was littered with bamboo strips and fractured tables. Still, both men eluded the count.

A third guitar came out from under the ring. “How many guitars does Elias have?” Corey asked, flabbergasted. No matter how many more were hidden under the ring, it was the last one Elias needed. He scaled a turnbuckle and jumped. Drew turned just in time to catch the hit on his shoulder, collapsing as it splintered. Elias pinned him, even with chunks of wood jabbing into his own body. It had taken almost a year, but Elias was finally the Intercontinental champion once again.

***

It was time to see who won the backstage battle to face Bayley and Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Tag Titles. Renee had kept up with the results better than anyone else. “The last people we saw standing were Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan of the Riott Squad. Right before Roman’s match against Dr. M, they had gotten the jump on Natalya and Rhonda.”

Corey shrugged. “I don’t think any of us really thought that team was going to face the champions. They had quite a moment during the women’s battle royal. And it cost them.”

“But now it’s Boss and Hug time,” Cole said as the champions came down the ramp. The women waited patiently in the ring to see who their opponents were going to be. They bumped each other’s shoulders as the aforementioned team came out to the stage. Sarah and Liv cackled, proud of themselves for having won the moment. They were just about to take a step forward when they were hit from behind. Not waiting for them to get up, Alicia Fox and Mickie James rushed down the ramp. If they could make it to the ring and survive until the bell, the match was theirs. They made it, jumping and hugging one another while Sasha and Bayley stood back and golf-clapped.

The partying didn’t last long. It was time for the match. And it was a showstopper. Alicia and Mickie had years of experience on their side, years of being glossed over, years of waiting to step up only to be stepped over. Sasha and Bayley had the legacy NXT’s four horsewomen behind them and the rebuilt strength of their friendship. They had the championship buffer as well. That helped a lot when Mickie knocked Sasha out of the ring. She was willing to wait for the count, taking her time to roll around, but Alicia raced around the ring and shoved the champion back into the ring. Caught off-guard, Mickie was too busy mocking Bayley to sense the danger behind her.

Bayley ran across the ring to spear Alicia off the apron so Mickie could be pinned. Their titles retained, they stood together, ushering the new era of women’s wrestling.

***

The guys’ tag match didn’t go as smoothly for the champions. At first, it looked like they had everything under control. Rezar started the match against Sami Zayn. Behind him, Akam shouted what to do, and when to move away from the ropes when it looked like Kevin Owens was about to try something. Eventually, the tags switched and the process was the same. But as the match progressed, battle lines were drawn. Akam took a particularly teasing hit from Sami, who was good at dodging his grasp. Kevin was able to keep up with Rezar and keep him on his toes. The fight extended to ringside, and that’s when things got… broken.

No limbs, thankfully. But things definitely fell apart. Rezar was ringside meeting Owens blow for blow, toss for toss, and was mid-roar after throwing Owens into a barricade when Sami came running by. Akam was quick on his heels, but the champions zigged when they should have zagged. The two massive bodies colliding sent both men flying back the way they came. Sami and Kevin had recovered, and it took both to toss Akam back into the ring. With Rezar still reeling and unable to help, Sami made the pin. The victors met in the center of the ring, falling to their knees and accepting their new tag championship. They met again at the top of the massive ramp and held their titles high.

***

The last singles match of the night was for the Raw Women’s Championship between Ruby Riott and Alexa Bliss. As hostess, Alexa directed the biggest entrance of the night worthy of her talent, and arguably her ego. Ruby took a simpler entrance. Not that she needed anything bigger. Having the championship around her waist, and then on her shoulder, was stunning enough.

Alexa brought out all the stops. An unspoken goal had been for her team to hold all the Raw women’s titles. But with Mickie and Alicia coming up short, it was up to her to take up the slack. Ruby was similarly in mood. Her tag-mates had been denied their match. If she could retain, the Riott Squad had hope to rise again. Ruby accepted Alexa’s attack, then rerouted it for her own mission. A Twisted Bliss was narrowly avoided, and the stunned Alexa was easy to catch in a submission while Ruby caught her breath. Several more dives from the top ropes happened, but it was a Riot Kick to one of Alexa’s leaps that finished the match. Ruby retained, screaming into the night air with her title in her hands.

***

Now was the main event.

“This match is a Universal Championship triple-threat match set for one fall. The competitor who is pinned will have to leave the WWE forever.”

Dean nervously looked between Seth and Brock Lesnar. And the title. He bit back the urge to look towards the ramp as if you were there. Backstage, you were just as nervous. Roman was hovering by the tv too, but from a distance, so he could run to the ring as soon as the match was over. Sheamus stood right behind you, holding the hand you had resting on your shoulder.

At the bell, Seth and Dean instantly rushed to attack Lesnar in one swoop. He was laughing before they reached him. With his two large hands, he caught each around the throat. First, Lesnar tossed Seth one way and between the ropes. He threw Dean back towards the center of the ring, then caught him with the first suplex of the match. Seth pulled Dean to the floor and slid in, starting the attack he planned. His quick movements kept confusing the Beast. And they were wearing him down. A well-placed Frog-Splash caught Lesnar in the ribs, but he twisted Seth into a submission. Dean rushed back in to break it up before his brother had to tap out.

Seth remained huddled in the corner, nursing his arm while Dean and Lesnar faced off again. This time Dean was successful in dodging the harder blows and the attempted suplexes. He managed to drop him with a Dirty Deeds and instantly tried for a pin. Which instantly failed. Dean knew he couldn’t let up on the attack, but Lesnar’s low laugh was unnerving.

“I don’t care which one of you I pin,” he chuckled. “It’s all the same to me. No, what will matter after this match, is how your little cousin survives with me as champion.” They both rose to their feet, circling each other. “Maybe I do care. If my reign is going to be a bit more hands-on, I’d rather not have you in the way.” Behind them on the floor, Paul Heyman nodded, grinning ear to ear. Seth heard too and used the ropes to get back to his feet.

Lesnar was flanked on both sides. E wasn’t bothered by that until the timing of brothers kicked in. If he thought keeping up with Rollins or stomping down Ambrose was hard, it was nigh impossible to keep tabs on both. Dean was wildest of the two. The threat was enough to send him boarder-lining on several mistakes. Those close calls got him suplexed across the ring, several of which sent him hurtling to the floor. Still, it distracted the Beast enough from Seth’s darting attacks. Alone, the plan might have worked. With both of them working against Lesnar? It was becoming a sure match.

Then Lesnar fell out of the ring, just as Dean and Seth found themselves on opposite sides of it.

Backstage, you shook your head. “No.” You whispered. “Don’t do it guys.”

They looked at one another, and to where Brock was out of sight. Seth launched half a second before Dean did, catching him in the chest and taking him to the canvas. The referee was just swooping in to count when Seth jolted back. The price came to mind. And it was too high. With another shared look, they rolled through the ropes and set on bringing Lesnar back onto the canvas. With both of them then leaning on his chest, the referee kneeled to count. Dean backed away before he started, watching as all three seconds went by.

The screen erupted with the cheers of the crowd, but you were frozen. Sheamus shook your shoulders. “What’s wrong? They won.”

“If this had been the original contract, Dean would have just given up his career… of his own free will.”

Roman was already gone. You hurried out the door to follow him. By the time you made it to the ramp, Dean was already enveloped in a Roman-sized bear hug. You took over, hugging Dean with all your strength. Seth was still in the ring, showing off his retained Universal title at each ring post. Brock Lesnar and his advocate came up the ramp, both of them panting. Dean’s back was still turned to them. Unaware of the danger. You pushed him and Roman back and stood between them and the advancing party. Lensar paused, amused that you thought he’d give an effort now that he was done with the company. He was long gone by the time Seth caught up.

The brothers in arms shared a victory hug. One that you watched from a distance. You couldn’t hear what they were saying to one another, but that was okay. It wasn’t for you to hear. When the huddle broke, Dean caught you around the shoulders the same way Roman caught his, and they led you backstage.

Seth Rollins looked out over the crowd. A sold-out arena all shouting ‘slay the beast’. Because he had. With the biggest smile on his face in a long time, he lifted the red and gold belt above his head. It was theirs; he’d won it for them. And he’d defend it for them, no matter what it took.


	49. Wrapped Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After WrestleMania, a lot of things need to be addressed. Most importantly, Dean has a big decision to make now that his brotherhood his saved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The things in this chapter wrap up the pretty much all of the title storylines I had to keep up with. Next week will be a super short chapter because it will focus on the main cousin!Ambrose storyline. And you guys are going to hate me. So, enjoy this one, while you can! Comments and kudos are appreciated.

Monday Night Raw – April 8, 2019

“Burn it down!”

Seth walked out onto the stage triumphantly. The defended title bright and bold on his shoulder, he smiled brighter than ever before. Down in the ring, he picked up a mic. But he wasn’t able to talk for some time. Between the continued ‘burn it down’ chants and ‘slayed the beast’ and ‘you deserve it,’ Seth couldn’t do anything but bask in the moment. The gems bit into his hand as he did his best to ground his flying emotions. Finally, he raised the mic to his lips.

“Thank you.” He bit his lip. “All of last night, all everything it took to get here, and the only words I can find… are thank you.” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “Thank you, for watching my back, for watching my story, and for sticking around through all the highs and lows. Last night could have been a big low. I could have lost everything. My career… my brother.” He choked back before he could say ‘Dean.’ Then it would be too real. Seth slapped on a smile. “But we slayed the beast. And the best part about last night? He is never coming back.”

That earned a big cheer, as it should.

Taking a few steps around the ring, Seth worried his fingers through his beard. “Now, that was last night. And tonight, like with any night, any time, any place, I am going to continue to show that I am a fighting champion. After all… I am the reigning, defending, beast-slaying, Universal Champion. Nobody back there has enough aces on me to even consider taking this from me, much less the skill to do so. Unless there’s someone back there who wants to prove me wrong.”

He didn’t have to wait long. Another smile, soft and knowing, spread across his face as Finn Balor made his entrance.

“Seth, Seth, Seth. First of all, congratulations.” That much needed to be said and briefly applauded. “But you’re wrong about a few t’ings.”

“Really?” Seth leaned forward on the ropes. “Enlighten me.”

Finn stepped to the top edge of the ramp. “There is someone who has the skill to beat you, and someone who ‘as the aces. There is no ring, no accolade of yours that can protect the Universal from me. Clash of Champions was a fluke. An’ it was weighed down with the Intercontinental championship. I tried chasin’ after that, tryin’ to see what the fuss was about. But nothing is goin’ to be like holding that title there,” he pointed at the Universal on Seth’s shoulder. “I will give you tonight. Slaying the beast was a lot. But I will ‘ave my Universal back. And then I’ll have it fer keeps.”

“Is that so?” Seth nodded, curling down the sides of his mouth. “I will accept your gracious gift of not having to defend against you tonight. Thank you.” He encouraged the applause. “But when do you want it back? Might I suggest… Backlash?”

Now it was Finn’s turn to nod. “Backlash sounds great. What about being a defending champion?”

“Oh, I’m still going to defend it. But I’m not going to deny others a chance. No, no, no, no, no. After I beat you at Backlash, I’m going to need a number one contender. Or several, but I doubt there’s even going to be one.”

“So be it.” Finn bowed, then turned on his heel and left.

***

“Nia, Tamina,” Charly caught up with the two women just outside Gorilla. “Last night you two were taken out fairly early in the preshow. You didn’t even make it to the arena for the challenge-“

Knocking the mic away from her face, Nia took a second to compose herself. “Look, our moment wasn’t in WrestleMania. That’s fine. Last night wasn’t the last one ever.”

“If anything,” Tamina added, “it means that Sasha and Bayley are weakened. They’ve been saying since they got those titles that they’ve been friends for life despite their tiffs. But those “tiffs” always seem to hit when gold is on the line. It’s about time for one of them to turn on the other again.” She was cut off by the sound of Sasha Bank’s music.

In the arena, Bayley’s followed, and they walked down to the ring together. They both took a mic, circling back to the center.

Tapping her fingers on her thigh, Bayley talked first. “We did it. The Boss n’ hug Connection had their WrestleMania moment.” She bent with a smile. “How awesome is that?”

“But we know some people,” Sasha popped the ‘p’ and smiled, “are upset that they missed theirs. We don’t need the Universal champion’s well-earned week off. We can and will face anyone who missed their moment. And you ladies might want to catch it quick. Because next week is the shake-up, and who knows where these titles might go.”

Dropping their mics to techies, Bayley and Sasha waited to see who would answer, though they had a good idea. Fulfilling that guess, Tamina and Nia Jax came to the stage, and then to the ring to answer the challenge. The match that followed was worthy of the inaugural WrestleMania weekend. The women put it all out in the ring, sparing nothing. Not their bodies, their voices, or their lungs. By the time it came down to the wire, they were all panting and heaving to suck in enough oxygen to continue.

Tamina came around the corner and clotheslined Sasha. She flipped through the air, landing hard enough for Bayley to hear it. The Hug part of the Connection turned away to check on her friend. Nia took advantage, ripcording Bayley and nearly felling her. But the lithe form was quick, and Bayley reversed the hold into a pin, kicking off the floor until the count of three. Even though they’d lost, Nia and Tamina left the arena smiling. They were smiling because Sasha and Bayley were not. And Sasha was not letting Bayley comfort her. All according to plan.

***

Another tag match followed. Last Monday, the team of Tyler Breeze and Dana Brook won the tag battle royal. They earned their match as the number one contenders and they weren’t going to wait another week to use it.

The new champions met them in the ring, happily handing their titles to the referee to hold up. The victory made them blissfully proud. And blind. Dana’s first offense caught them by surprise. Sami was on his back and Kevin was out of the ring before they could blink. Throughout the match, they didn’t know what to do about here. Breeze, they had fought at one time or another. And beaten. Dana? Did they treat her like a woman, with softer hits and gentler moves? She wasn’t giving them the same charity.

By the end, after several close calls, they made their decision. Dana was a wrestler. She was fighting in this division because she could handle it, receiving and dishing it out. After the bell rang with Kevin’s pin on Breeze, they circled back to where Dana was helping him stand back up.

“This isn’t over,” Sami said, holding out his hand. “If we challenge you to a rematch…?”

The partners shared a look. Breeze took his hand. “We’ll accept.”

***

Roman caught Seth in a big hug. “I know I said it last night, but congratulations, man.” He chuckled as Dean gave their brother a slight hit to his chin.

“Thanks. It was rough though.”

Dean agreed, eyebrows arching with the memory. “Yeah.”

“I wish I could have been in the match. It’s been a while since it’s been just the three of us ripping it up.”

“I’m kinda glad you weren’t.” Seth laid his title aside. “If it had been the three of us, there’s no way Hunter would have changed the stipulation back. Two of us would be out of a job, and the last one would be… devastated. No title is worth that.”

Dean kept his eyes on the floor, flitting around to the sides and checking the hall so they weren’t disturbed. “You don’t think he’ll try to control her again, do you?” Suddenly, the tape on his hands was very interesting. “I mean, we were all almost in the palm of his hand there for a second. If he gets control of Y/N-“

“That won’t mean that he controls us.” Both men patted his shoulders and the back of his head, and Seth continued. “Even when he did have her under his thumb, she’s a fighter. An Ambrose. And now she knows what to look out for. You don’t have to worry about her. Trust me.”

Roman caught the rest of his worried expression. “And I handled Dr. M. I have a feeling he’s not going to focus on her again any time soon. He’s gonna have Braun chasing him down for not holding up his end of the ‘bargain’ in getting his title back.” He jutted his chin at Seth. “You and Finn might need to watch your backs.”

As the conversation fizzled and the two of them wondered away, Dean couldn’t help but keep picking at his tape. He’d been wrong before, but life never wrapped up with this nice of a bow. If he was right, and he was afraid he was, if you were in danger then they were all threatened. With that in mind, he walked way in the opposite direction for some isolation.

***

Corey laughed. Inside the ring, Curt Hawkins faced off against No Way Jose. “What does Hawkins think he’s doing? One lucky win doesn’t mean anything.”

“How can you say that?” Renee gasped. “That ‘lucky win’ was in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. Don’t be such a jerk, Corey. What if this is the start of a new streak for Hawkins?”

“What if this is the start of the second losing streak for him?”

After a hard throw that sent him to the far corner, Curt crawled into a seated position against the corner. He glanced to his trophy sitting by the bell box. Nodding, he psyched himself up to his feet and went back into the fight, catching Jose unawares. The dancing, neon-braided wrestler knew what this match meant to him, but he wasn’t going to give it away either. If anything, Jose worried that if he lost that the losing streak might pass onto him. Superstitious, yes. But he didn’t want to risk it.

Jose almost ran into the referee. He stopped in his tracks, apologetic. Curt took the moment to sweep him up from behind, holding him down for a pin like his life depended on it. He survived the three count. The referee had to catch up with him to raise his hand. It was going to take some getting used to, sticking around for that part of a match. Especially if this really was the start of better days.

***

In the next match, Natalya had requested some time to work out what happened in the battle royal with Rhonda. Not five minutes before then, Rhonda had requested time to work out the problems they had backstage before then against the other tag teams. When they met in the ring, it wasn’t to talk. The bell rang instead, and the referee did his best to stay out of the way.

Someone who also wanted to stay out of the way was Ruby Riott. But she wanted a close seat. She took a chair from the bell box and planted it outside the ring. At the commentary table far up on stage, Corey snorted. “She’s not here because she’s worried. Look at her! She’s enjoying this.”

“But of course. Who doesn’t like a good fireworks show,” Renee asked.

Ruby remained unmoved as the match collapsed outside the ring. Natalya was sprawled on her stomach by the stairs. Rhonda was on her back, the only sign that she was still alive was her chest rising and falling with a stutter. The referee counted to ten, ruling a double loss by count-out. The champion shrugged and took to the ring. She held her title overhead as if claiming their broken friendship as her genius plan.

“Where’s Ruby’s Squad? It’s unlike them not to help her cackle over fallen victims.”

***

They were backstage. Hunting. Mickie James and Alicia Fox tried to go the other way, but they were caught by their shoulders and then their hair.

“Where are you going?”

“Yeah, we just want to talk.”

The captured women yelped as they were thrown into crates and the wall and to the floor.

“Not so hot now, are ya?” Sarah kicked at Mickie’s stomach.

Liv picked Alicia up again and tossed her over her tag partner’s body just as security ran up. As they were being separated, she shouted, “you’re going to for stealing our moment!” They shook themselves loose and hurried down the hallway. On the ground, Alicia and Mickie held onto their heads and their bruised sides.

***

“Ladies and gentlemen: the new Intercontinental Champion, Elias.” Sitting smugly with his rewon title around his waist, Elias set to strumming an upbeat tune. The crowd started to clap along, but as soon as they got off rhythm, he ended it.

He shook his head. “Was there any doubt that I would once again save the WWE from McIntyre’s mediocrity? If you just have faith, you will see that I am the light in this business. I can lead you through the rabble and the dim-witted that fill the locker rooms of both Raw and Smackdown.” He laughed. “Yes, I am already planning far ahead. While I do not have the power to decide who moves between the brand next week, (even though I should; I would do so much better than Y/N or Paige in rearranging the rosters), I can name who I think would be a worthy opponent. Not that’s much to pick from.”

Strumming his guitar once again, Elias began to rattle off names of who he wanted to face in the coming months. Some names like Jeff Hardy and Aleister Black got a cheer. Others, like Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan, received boos laced with awe at the thought. “And any of these are more worthy of my time because Drew is home, too cowardly to face me instead of licking his wounds. Or perhaps he is avoiding the Brooklyn slime.”

While the crowd was booing the dig on their city, the stage erupted with flames and music. Baron Corbin waltzed out. The crowd immediately shifted their hate to the Lone Wolf. He twiddled his mic. “You know what I dislike about you the most, Elias? It isn’t your misplacement at the top of this business, or even your tuneless music; it’s that you can’t see the real talent that should hold that championship.” He shrugged. “I didn’t hear my name on that list.”

Elias shrugged back. “That’s because one: you’re not on Smackdown. And two: you are also not worth my time.”

That made Baron’s blood boil. But he breathed the comment away, continuing to the ring. “And yet, I’m here. Right here and now. And none of those guys are, if they ever will be. Who knows. Maybe nothing will change. I wouldn’t put it past our managers to throw that curveball.”

“I’m going to stop you right there. You are not worming your way into a match.”

Baron paused at the bottom of the ramp. “I’m not worming my way in. It’s official. Looks like you’ve fallen out of favor with Y/N.” To emphasize his point, a referee slid into the ring and shrugged.

“So be it.”

Elias tossed his headset and his scarves outside the ring, but he set up his guitar in the corner. He had planned to use it. It was the perfect target to throw Baron through. But Baron caught himself on the ropes before kicking back into Elias’s chest. Kicking it from its perch, Baron paused with his boot raised above it. Elias lurched forward, but his boots slipped. The guitar crunched and Elias roared. It was a short rage and pride-fueled match after that.

The referee struggled to hold up Elias’s wrist, but the champion snatched it away. He circled Baron, growling while he rolled around on the canvas. Elias seized him by the shoulders and pushed him away.

It was supposed to be a ripcord of sorts. But as Baron was pulled in, he dodged the raised knee and caught Elias around the neck and waist. The momentum was enough to help reverse into a Deep Six. The ring bounced as Elias fell. Stunned, Baron took in the view.

After not even a second’s more hesitation, he snatched the title off the canvas and rolled out of the ring. He didn’t look back until he was at the top of the ramp. Then he hurried backstage through the side entrance leading to the garage.

***

That was where you caught up with him. “Baron. Baron!”

“What?”

“You have to give it back.”

He curled his grip tighter over the Intercontinental title. “No, I don’t. The way I see it, I’m the one that walked out of that ring. I had the last say, the right to take this championship-“

“You lost the match. And you went over my head in the first place. Hunter signed off on this, not me.” You blocked his path and crossed your arms. “If this had been the other way around, you’d be screaming bloody murder.” Taking the initiative, you reached up to take the title. Probably a mistake.

Baron backed away with a snarl. He readied a fist to fly towards your face. While you were prepared to defend yourself, someone else stepped in between you. Dean puffed up his chest against Baron’s and kept you safely behind him. The arrival of the elder Ambrose sparked Baron’s memory.

“I don’t know why you’re so eager to stop me, Y/N. Your cousin did the same exact thing with Seth Rollins a few years ago. He beat him in a match, with Roman’s help, and then ran off with the WWE heavyweight championship. How can you ‘call me out’ if your own blood has done the same thing?”

That stopped you cold. It was a good point. Dean didn’t think so. “I at least won my match.”

“Let him go.”

Dean whipped around, his brow creased. “What?”

You stepped forward, pushing your cousin behind you and maintaining eye-contact with Baron. “He does have a point. Not to put Seth down or anything, but I think Elias is going to be a lot less patient to get his championship back. So, you should probably run.” It took no small effort not to grin as Baron’s face fell. He was soon gone, allowing you the space to chuckle. Until you saw Dean’s face. “What?”

“That’s supposed to be my question. What was that about?”

You shrugged. “He made a good point. And really, I’m not too worried about it. Elias will make him pay for it.”

Dean grumbled. “You were about to pay for it. One Corbin knuckle sandwich, order up for Y/N Ambrose,” he added teasingly.

Looking down and away, it didn’t make you smile. “I have a lot to pay for.”

“No, you don’t. It’s… we’re past that. It’s done, finished, signed, sealed, and wrapped with a bow. You did what you set out to do. Lesnar’s gone and-“

“And it almost cost you everything.”

“But it didn’t. Seth is still champion. And I’ve still got a place here. Now I’m always ready to kick Baron in the teeth, but you don’t have anything else to pay for. You never did. Not in my book.” As he’d spoken, your head dipped lower and lower into your chest. Dean flicked your nose to make you look up. “And I’ll be damned if anyone tries to use that against you. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” he said resolutely. “Alright. Now come on, great important manager of Raw. Seth owes us food. Let’s go.” He wouldn’t take no for an answer, so you let him sling an arm over your shoulder and guide you down the hall. A few steps down, he kissed the top of your head and you felt ten pounds fall off your shoulders.

You were forgiven. And now you could be a family again. 


	50. One Last Time (Finale)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Superstar Shake-up is a success for Raw. But Paige makes a surprise appearance and requests one last trade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ow. It hurt to write, and it hurts to read, but in a bittersweet way. Let me know what you thought of the series (now that it’s done *gasp*) with comments, kudos, and however you like to give feedback. Thanks for reading this. Enjoy this final chapter!

Monday Night Raw – April 15, 2019

And the end of the show, all of the Smackdown wrestlers who were moving to Raw had matches. And several of them found feuds easily. You were in the back welcoming one such wrestler when you heard the Titantron turn on. The harpy scream made your eyebrows meet.

What was Paige doing here?

You headed to the arena to find out.

She was already in the ring, grinning ear to ear. “Hello, Monday Night Raw!” She giggled and scrunched her nose at the welcome. “No, no. Raw isn’t getting a new manager. I have something I wanted to discuss with Y/N, and I wanted to include you all in that.” She turned towards the stage as your music turned on.

The mic’s weight was confusing in your hand. You twirled it one more time before speaking. “As much as I’m happy to see you… what are you doing here?”

“I have one last trade to propose”

Oh. What that all? You doubted it.

You walked towards the ring, nodding at Paige as she sat on the ropes for you. “Really? Just one more trade.” You cocked your head to one side. “That’s very generous of you, in theory. Who did you have in mind?”

Paige knew she had you. “It’s two people actually, but I’m sure you’ll be happier about one of them.”

At that, again the stage lit up. With white rolling orbs that spelled out the name of the Swiss Cyborg. A second later, the sighting of Jörmungandr made your heart flip. Sheamus and Cesaro went through their entrance and waltzed down to the ring. The smirk on Sheamus’s face matched yours. But something was troubling you.

As the Bar circled around you to stand with Paige, you again lifted your mic. “That’s very generous of you. But what’s the catch?”

“What, you don’t trust me?”

“Not an inch.”

Paige forced a smile. Then she shrugged and slipped into one more natural. And foreboding. “That was probably smart. But really, Y/N, I just want one person from your roster. Just one.” She watched the wheels turning in your head as you tried to figure out if the Bar was worth Seth Rollins or Roman or Rhonda Rousey. “It’s not who you think.”

You were about to ask her what she meant when the Titantron lit up one last time. The mix of the motorcycle revving and the guitar riff sent an icy rod up your spine.

No.

No, no, no.

Dean strutted out. His shoulders rotated like any other Monday, but the movement was stiff. Almost guilty. By the time he made it to the ring, you were at the ropes trying to keep him out. He gently pushed on your shoulder so you could step back and give him enough room to enter. Paige closed the distance by handing him a mic.

“What is this?” you demanded. Looking between them, Dean was obviously not looking at the Smackdown manager. “This was decided a long time ago, wasn’t it? Dean?”

He ran his knuckles down his jaw. “Last week actually. I called her.” Before you could rant at him with a flurry of arm motions, he caught your shoulders. “Y/N. It’s okay.” He sighed as you knocked the mic from both your hands. You stepped back against the ropes, mind reeling.

“Why are you doing this? I don’t get a choice. A say?”

“No.”

It hurt. One word and your heart was ash.

“I’m not going to let people keep controlling you because of me. If I move, you won’t have to choose between me and the roster. I thought you’d be happy.”

“Happy? I just got you back. Twenty years of waiting and almost pushing you away for good because of petty mistakes, and I thought…” The words failed to come. “I messed up. Again.”

Dean bit back a smile. “No! No.” He chuckled and flicked your nose. “What is all this? I’m not dead. I’m not going anywhere. Just next door. I’ll still see you at the pay per views and such. And hey,” he lightly tapped your jaw with his fist, “who knows. Maybe Ambrose versus Ambrose two-point-oh at Survivor Series this year?”

“It won’t be the same.”

He nodded. “I know. But I’m not leaving you alone.” The last part was said loud enough for Sheamus to hear. They met at the back of the ring with the three of you and the Universe looking on. Their low words were just mumbles. “You take care of her.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t ‘ave agreed to this if I wasn’t ready to do t’at.”

Dean grit his teeth. “It’s more than that. Besides the obvious, you’ll figure it out. Just… she’s a good listener. But you need to get her to talk. I’m not good at it either, but you and Cesaro seem to do it okay, so I need you to know what she’s thinking. And protect her decisions.”

“I will.”

“And,” he leaned close, grabbing the collar of Sheamus’s jacket, “if you break her heart? I’ll speak for Seth and Roman and say the Shield has no problem reforming to shatter your kneecaps.”

Sheamus gulped. “Yes, sir.”

“Good man.”

They stepped apart. Then Dean walked the Celtic Warrior to your side, catching your hand to place it in his. With a nod from Dean, Cesaro walked over to stand by Sheamus, and Dean went to stand by Paige.

She looked at everyone. “We good?”

Cesaro picked up your mic so you could respond. “Yeah. We’re good.”

To her music, she and your cousin left the ring. At the top of the ramp, Dean looked back. You were flanked by the Bar, with Sheamus’s hands on your shoulders. You had one arm bent so you could hold one of them. Over your head, Sheamus nodded. You were in good hands. Not that you needed them, but the backup was going to be nice. Dean returned the sentiment with a curt nod, gave the arena one last grin, and left the arena.


End file.
